Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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(Text)INTRODUCTION- 17 –
DRYING, FREEZING, AND
STORING HERBS & SPICES
Whether growing your own or buying them from a supermarket or spice shop, you
should know how to store your herbs and spices to prolong their freshness and max-
imize their flavors in cooking.
Spices are generally dried immediately after they’re harvested. The process can be
complicated and sometimes requires special conditions for the best quality; commer-
cial spice producers may use machinery or facilities that are designed for this purpose.
The drying technique varies by spice, as rhizomes, fresh peppers, berries, and vanilla
beans all have unique requirements to properly dry the spices and activate their crucial
flavor compounds. Most fresh seeds, however, can be dried in the sun or hung from
their stems in paper bags to dry naturally over the course of several weeks. This is
especially easy for seeds like dill, coriander, and fennel. All spices should be stored in
airtight containers and shielded from direct sunlight, preferably in a dark, dry cabinet.
Herbs, on the other hand, are enjoyed either fresh or dried, depending on their use
in cooking. Luckily, the drying process for herbs is straightforward and relatively simple.Fresh vs. Dried Herbs
Debating whether to use fresh herbs or dried? Fresh is often best, both in terms of
flavor and nutritional value. But it’s not the only option. Many long-cooked dishes
call specifically for pungent dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme. In
these recipes, fresh herbs simply can’t withstand the heat and lengthy cook times,
and the dried herbs offer more robust flavors that
permeate through the entire dish.
Additionally, dried herbs come in
handy when you’re short on fresh
ingredients and need a substitute
in a pinch. And they do the trick
using much smaller quantities. In
fact, dried herbs are especially
useful in the winter months,
when warm-weather herbs are
no longer in season and at their
most expensive.Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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