Spices

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...

Pickling spice is a coarse mixture of spices that flavors the brine used in the pickling process, which is used to preserve vegetables like cucumbers, cabbage and carrots. Pickling spice also can...

Artificial sweeteners are a suitable sugar alternative for people suffering from diabetes or people wanting to lose weight, because they are low in calories and do not raise blood sugar levels.

Cane sugar (commonly referred to as sugarcane) and brown sugar are both sweeteners used in various food and drink recipes. Sugarcane refers to the raw form of sugar, before it has gone through a...

Capsicum is fruit of the pepper plant. Not all peppers are hot and spicy, but those that are get their heat from a chemical called capsaicin. The Scoville Heat Scale, developed by the chemist...

Onions are one of the most commonly grown and consumed vegetables in the world. According to website Onions USA, the average human being consumes approximately 13.67 pounds of onions each year....

Chinese five spice, a common ingredient in oriental cooking, is made with equal combinations of five unique spices that mimic sweet, sour, bitter, salty and pungent. While Chinese five spice can...

There are many designs of table pepper grinders, but the internal parts are essentially the same. The grinding mechanism, or mill, is usually made of stainless steel or hard ceramic. As the...

Allspice is a type of berry native to Jamaica and has a similar appearance to whole peppercorns. It has a distinctive taste with both sweet and savory notes. Allspice is commercially sold in both...

Restaurants often ask you to order spicy food on a scale of 1 to 10 and add hot pepper to the dish accordingly, but chili peppers can add more than heat to a dish. Depending on the type of pepper...

Coconut oil is a natural oil that has many health benefits. When consumed, it can help lower the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. It can also be used in cosmetics, such as lotion, soap,...

Although spices last longer at room temperature than most other foods, they do lose flavor and potency as they age. Even though many companies sell small bags and containers of spices, most of us...

Spicy dishes are becoming more popular and they are good for you. It seems everyone from toddlers to senior citizens crave Mexican dishes. The preparation of chiles needs to be done properly to...

Vanilla extract is a common, fragrant flavoring regularly used in sweet items such as cakes, pies and cookies. More adventurous savory recipes with chicken or other game birds may also call for...

Season foods from the inside by piercing them with infused skewers. Consider what seasonings will best complement the foods you plan to skewer. Seasoned infused skewers can be used on foods headed...

Ever wanted your roasted meats to have that extra flair? What about adding to soups? This spice mixture may look like curry, but certainly does not taste like it. This is a wonderful spice blend...

this will tell you how to prevent salt in your salt shakers from collecting moisture and clumping and clogging up

Potpourri Gift Jars can be a great gift for anytime of year and even a great addition to themed gift baskets. Pretty jars are great to use too. The most popular jars to use, however, are...

Exotic spices have always had an allure that gourmet chefs and creative cooks can't resist. Grains of Paradise are one type that has been used for hundreds of years in a variety of dishes. Today,...

Freshly ground peppercorns add zest to foods with a richness of flavor that eclipses that of previously ground black pepper. There is also an aesthetic pleasure in grinding fresh peppercorns on a...

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a plant in the onion family. It is used both in cooking and as a herbal or medical supplement. While studies are not conclusive, garlic shows promise in treating certain...

You grill a little and want to step it up. Try to spice or sauce it up a little.

It is very easy and extremely economical to make your own vanilla extract. Anyone who cooks knows that pure vanilla extract is certainly not cheap, but imitation vanilla flavoring just does not...

Ginger has served humans with its culinary and medicinal uses for over 4,000 years, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and growth or purchase of this edible rhizome will...

Rosemary salt is a great gourmet ingredient for use on meats, bread, eggs, potatoes or any vegetable dish, and here's an extremely fast and easy way to make it! You can also package it and give it...

While most people think of it as a predominantly Italian spice, fennel is actually a very popular flavor in several cuisines around the world. Fennel seeds are used as a spice, and the leaves and...

Cinnamon bark extract is simply another name for the common cinnamon spice found in most kitchen pantries. Cinnamon has a number of health benefits, and those not getting enough cinnamon can...

The Olde Thompson Pepper Pump pepper mill offers a unique way to spice up your meals, letting you grind pepper with one hand at the table, unlike the dual handed function of most pepper mills. You...

Fresh ginger is typically sold in its raw, root form by the pound at grocery stores. Recipes calling for this sharp, tangy spice usually specify whether fresh or powdered ginger should be used....