Spices

Almond extract adds a strong almond flavor to baked goods. Since it is a highly concentrated liquid, only small amounts of extract are needed, and, unlike solid almond paste, the extract does not...

Marinades are a nice way to put a personal touch on regular food. The same food can be made with two different marinades and the dinners will have completely different tastes. Here is a glance at...

The nectarine is a basically a peach that has a smooth skin. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are regarded commercially as different fruits, they actually belong to the same species as peaches....

If you are like most of us out there, you don't stick to diets and you don't eat healthy because most "health foods" taste bad. It is the truth. We love to slather our foods in sauces,...

Simple syrup is an easy to make solution used for drink recipes and cooking. It is simply sugar infused into water. As granulated sugar doesn't dissolve well into cold drinks, people use simple...

Bay leaves are used often to season soups and other dishes. Whole or crumbled bay leaves added to a dish will provide a slightly bitter taste. If using a whole leaf, it will need to be removed...

Bay leaves are used alone or with other spices in sauces, stews, meat dishes and pickling recipes. The leaves can be used fresh but have more aroma and flavor if dried. Bay can be grown in home...

It's an annoying thing that seems to happen all the time--your brown sugar dries up into one big clump. This happens due to a lack of moisture. Alas, don't be alarmed. There is a very easy...

Mulling spices are useful for making a variety of beverages. When you add mulling spices to hot or cold beverages, they instantly have a spicy aroma and delicious taste that will set the beverage...

Pickling salt and table salt are only two of a variety of different types of salt available today. There are similarities and differences between the two, which help define how best to use each.

Indian spices are general or specific to each region and state. Common Indian spices include red chili powder, cumin seeds and tamarind. Other spices and blends are used when cooking dishes...

Curry refers to a number of Indian and Asian dishes, as well as to the herb and spice blends used to make them. These complex blends vary from region to region--but are usually made from freshly...

Both ground and whole spices have a place in every kitchen. Following appropriate storage and use procedures will ensure that you have fresh spices whenever they are called for in a recipe.

Many recipes in cookbooks call for the use of fresh spices. Often it is the wrong time of year for fresh spices, or you just don't have the particular spice available and do not want to run to the...

Hot peppers contain an active component called capsaicin. Capsaicin actually damages nerve cells, which is what makes exposure to it extremely painful. The burning from the capsaicin in hot...

The culinary definition of a rub is a combination of spices and herbs that are applied to meat, poultry or other items before cooking. Rubs are applied in a thick layer to cover the entire surface...

Curry paste and curry powder both are frequently used in Asian and Indian cooking and can be substituted for each other without changing the amount used. However, there are differences between the...

Pickling salt doesn't turn brine cloudy because it doesn't contain certain additives, and as a result, it also won't affect the color of the pickles. The same is true of kosher salt, which makes...

Heating curry powder before using it in a recipe will refresh the flavor of this blend of spices. The essential oils contained in this mix of ground spices is what gives curry powder its flavor....

Every Christmas is not complete without tasting my grandmother's special cookies and bars, preferably lebkuchen! So what is lebkuchen, you ask? It's a type of sweet food that Germans cook around...

History records the use of herbs and spices as far back as 5,000 B.C. They continue to be the subject of studies and research attempting to unlock the secrets of their healing properties. Spices...

Molasses and dark corn syrup are ingredients you'll find in many baked goods. Often used interchangeably, these syrups have several differences, including their origins and nutrients.

Barley malt is a natural sweetener that can be used in place of refined sugar, corn syrup or molasses in cooking and baking. The most common type of barley malt sweetener is 60 percent barley and...

As interest in healthy living continues to grow, people are increasingly curious about products and produce that haven't been sprayed or chemically treated. This carries over to consumers'...

The mustard plant is a vegetable related to broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The seeds of the mustard plant have a warm, spicy flavor and make a welcome addition to any kitchen. Yet yellow...

A pepper mill and a pepper grinder are the same product. Their function is to offer the cook freshly ground peppercorns, typically black, although white pepper or a pepper blend may be used. Fresh...

Beans are a nutritional powerhouse, they're filling, and they're cheap. But they're also bland. To get the most out of your beans, you need to give them flavor, which requires adding herbs and...

Paprika comes from the pods of Capsicum annuum peppers that are crushed to form a powdery spice. According to Thekitchn.com, paprika is the fourth most popular spice in the world. One of the major...

A popular store-bought spice blend for seafood, such as crab and shrimp, is Old Bay seasoning, which is known for its zesty flavor. Mimicking this flavor is fairly simple, however. In order to...

Almost every imaginable herb is easily available today, either in a supermarket, a health food store or ethnic food shop. These herbs are usually dried. Many recipes call for fresh herbs and...

Cajun cooking is a blend of French and Southern cuisine known for its bold flavor and zesty spices. Cajun seasoning is what gives the cooking its unique flavor, with the seasoning often sprinkled...

Fresh garlic is becoming increasingly popular because of its robust flavor and health benefits. Many cooks like to use fresh garlic, but peeling the cloves can be frustrating because they have to...

Peppercorns have been used to add spice to food for centuries. They have been mentioned since the 1st Century A.D., when Pliny the Elder complained about how much they cost. True peppercorns come...

Lemon verbena is an herb that is native to Chile and Peru, and it can grow as much as five feet in one growing season, up to almost 15 feet tall. It will retain its scent for years when dried, so...

When you're cooking, it's best to only crush as many hot peppers as you need. You'll get the best flavor from the spice if you grind the peppers fresh instead of using precrushed peppers kept in...

Vanilla comes from the a variety of orchid grown in Mexico, Tahiti and Madegascar, which give their names to the types of vanilla beans available. Madagascar vanilla contains the highest amount of...

Vanilla flavoring is a household staple, primarily in extract form. Artificial vanilla is used so often that it is easy to forget what pure, natural vanilla tastes like: rich, pungent and...

Whether to use fresh or dried herbs and spices is a question for each cook to decide. There are advantages to both.

Sugar obtained from the sugarcane plant probably originated in New Guinea about 6,000 years ago, according to PlantCulture.com. Human migration routes spread sugar cane throughout the world. Arabs...

Dry out a container of damp salt to make the seasoning useful again. Storing salt in an unsealed container in a humid environment may cause its granules to attract moisture from the air. Damp salt...

Citric acid once came from lemons, but modern manufacturers create it from the fermentation of sugar with bacteria. As an additive to foods, citric acid acts as a preservative, activates baking...

What is are antioxidants and what do they do for our body. Antioxidants help protect our body from free radicals. They interact with the oxygen in our bodies to find of dieases, illness and...

Sugar extracted from either sugarcane or sugarbeets is comprised of 95% to 99% sucrose. Differences in the way the plants are grown and the process of extraction may account for some anecdotal...

An Italian spice blend, also referred to as Italian seasoning, is a mixture of dried herbs that are commonly used in Italian cuisine. It is typically made primarily of dried rosemary, thyme, basil...