Herb & Spice Companion

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Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

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COMMON KITCHEN SPICES

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orchids also need vertical structures to support their

climbing habit, so grow alongside a fence or trellis, or

install a stake or trellis in a container indoors.

Note: Homegrown orchids need to be pollinated

by hand. But there’s a catch! Flowers bloom and die

within one day—yep, just one day—and they must be

pollinated at this time. Flowering will begin after 2 to 3

years (or longer). Consult a local garden shop for help pollinating orchids.

Size: 25 to 50 feet tall

Container: 1 gallon

Light: Filtered sun to partial shade

Soil: Moist, rich, well drained

Plant: Cuttings or plants; cuttings should be at least 1 foot long.

Water: Regularly, to keep the soil consistently moist. Mist regularly with water from

a spray bottle to simulate the humidity in the tropics.

Harvest: After flowering and pollination, the seedpods take 5 to 9 months to develop

and ripen.

Care: Mix mulch into the soil a few times every year for added nutrients. After a few

years, the plant will flower and must be hand-pollinated to ensure the growth of

seedpods.

Curing Vanilla Beans

Fresh seedpods are heated during the day then covered indoors overnight to “sweat”;

this process can continue for a month and will stimulate the chemical reaction that

gives vanilla its flavor. After that, they’re stored for 3 to 6 months, during which time

they shrivel up, turn dark brown, and finish developing their flavor.

Store vanilla beans in an airtight container away from sunlight for 2 years.

In the Kitchen

Dishes: Ice cream, pudding, baked sweets, syrups, compotes, poached fruit

Prep: Use whole beans to infuse vanilla flavor and remove before serving; slit open

the pod for extra flavor. Beans used for infusions are reusable; just give them a rinse

and let dry. If you have a high-performance blender, like a Vitamix, you can grind

the entire bean, pod and all, and add to any dish. First, chop off the ends; then chop

crosswise down the length of the bean and add to the blender along with any other

ingredients.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Pandan leaf


• Maple syrup


• Woodruff

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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