(repost from 2013)

I’m using “spices” in the sense of both herbs and spices.  Two observations, one for the cost-conscious housewife, and one for the foodies.

1. Take advantage of ethnic markets

If you have any access to ethnic markets, use them!  Unless you’re wedded to supermarket brands like McCormick and Spice Island, you’ll find the same or better quality, and much cheaper prices.

Oregano:

Supermarket price, $4.50 per ounce, vs…..

….$1.04 per ounce.

Cumin seed from Giant at $3.19 an ounce:

or ……

32 cents/oz. from an Indian market.

I don’t have to tell the cost-conscious consumer that it’s not worth driving the Buick miles out of the way just to save some jack if it’s a spice she rarely uses.

2. For foodies

Grind your own!  Any spices you can buy whole (seedy ones like coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, etc.) lose all their flavor exactly 2.9 days after they’re ground.  Even if that statistical observation is only 90% accurate, whole spices keep for a long time, whereas ground spices start to deteriorate immediately.  You never know how long either has been sitting on the shelf, so it’s safer to buy whole.

Spend $20 on a cheap coffee grinder. This Braun has served me well for many years:

….and grind your own.

In the past, I’ve been very laissez-faire, grinding whole spices when I had them, and not worrying about it when I didn’t.  But now that I’ve become a total food snob, I don’t use anything that doesn’t come out of the grinder, man!  Buying whole Sichuan peppercorns a few months ago and the difference between freshly ground and the relatively tasteless powder just confirmed my decision.

Some websites advise that after using your grinder, you can clean it by grinding up white rice.  This hasn’t worked for me….I just carefully wipe out both the base and cover with moistened paper (kitchen) towels.

But (I hear you say) I already have 12 steps to follow in this recipe and now you’re asking me to grind spices?!?  Well, it only takes 30 seconds extra, which you can probably spare.

3. Grow Your Own

If you have a bit of sun, and don’t mind watering most of them every day in summer, most herbs are ridiculously easy to grow from seed.  I’ve grown basil, cilantro, dill, epazote, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.  Rosemary seems to die if you transplant it, and cilantro I’ve given up on — even the “non-bolting” varieties bolt (flower) almost immediately.

Most years I have my “basil factory.”  Far more than I can use fresh, so I puree it with olive oil and freeze it, for a little taste of summer in the middle of winter.

Q:  Should I buy fresh herbs from the supermarket?

Yes, if that’s your only option.  It’s ridiculous that Safeway charges $3.29 for 15 leaves of fresh basil, when you can go to an Asian market and pay half the price for ten times the quantity.  Or buy a packet of seed for $1.49 and go crazy!

Q:  Should I buy dried herbs?

Yes.  Dried and fresh herbs don’t taste the same, and both have their uses.  Dried herbs are at their best in anything that’s cooked for a long time, fresh in anything that’s briefly cooked.

Q:  Aren’t you over-complicating things?  Isn’t it best to just cook from fresh and not worry about the details?

Yes.

-R