A tip for buying and using spices
 

Just thought I'd post this following a question this morning.

Firstly, yes, I have supermarket spices in my cupboard....we all need to buy them in emergencies, however, they are incredibly expensive.

Instead of buying ground spices at a supermarket, buy whole spices from an asian supermarket or online if you don't have an asian supermarket nearby. It's incredibly cheap this way. As an examply, a jar of 5 individual Star Anise at a supermarket costs between £2-£3. In an asian supermarket, a packet of 50 individual Star Anise costs me 79p.

Also, buying spices whole means they will stay fresher for longer as ground spices really lose the freshness quickly.

Here are a few things that are WAY better when you make your own....you'll need a spice or coffee grinder or be REALLY good with a pestle and mortar...:-)

Chinese Five Spice

You will need:-

2tbsp whole Szechuan Peppercorns
8 Star Anise
10 whole cloves
1 x 2inch stick cinnamon
2tbsp fennel seeds

Toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan just until you it starts filling your kitchen with the aroma. Try to resist having a smell....it's make your eyes water!
Pop the peppercorns and other spices all into a grinder and whiz in short blasts, removing the lid between each blast to release moisture. All whole spices will still have a little moisture, so when grinding, allow this to escape by removing the lid when you check for how fine the powder is.
When you have got a nice fine powder, put it through a sieve to remove any residual husks and store in an airtight jar or container in a cool dark cupboard for 3-4 months.


Garam Masala

4 tbsp coriander seeds
1tbsp black peppercorns
1 1/4tbsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
4 large black cardamom pods
12 whole cloves
2 inch piece cinnamon stick
3/4tsp crushed bay leaves
2tsp ground ginger

Toast all spices apart from cardamom and ginger in a pan on a low heat until they have started to fill the kitchen with the aroma. They should go a few shades darker, but not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then pop in a spice grinder. Remove the cardamom seeds from their pods and put those in the grinder with the ginger. Whiz the spices in blasts, lifting the lid to release moisture when checking. When you have a fine powder, put through a sieve. Again, this can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 months in a cool dark cupboard.


These are the two that I use most often.....they both are open for you to change t your liking...as with all recipes and will guarantee a much fresher flavour than anthing you buy as a ready made powder.

The chinese five spice, just a little in stir fries and fried rice, asian soups and broths, noodle salads etc is much better than shop bought!

Anyway....just posted this to save you money in the long run! :-)

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

u star :-)

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

Nice one! I use a fair bit of garam masala and I have a lovely pestle and mortar at home - might have to try that :D

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

I tend to use the P shops round the corner from Davepreston for my stuff, big packs and dirt cheap. Although even I cannot justify buying 56lb sacks of basmati

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

Now that's a lot of rice :p Don't think my kitchen's big enough to store something like that :)

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

Cool, I used to use mine too as I love it, but to get the powder right, it woulf take forevere...lol, so I just turned my coffee grinder into a spice grinder :-)

Yeah.....we bought a 3k sack once and it lasted us a year...lol

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

Do you have a dedicated one for coffee too? ;) That would taste...interesting!

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

Haha, would be no different to the flavoured coffees I guess, but no. Hardly ever used it as it was easier to just buy fresh ground coffee instead. Cooking is more important than coffee...lol ;-)

Re: A tip for buying and using spices
 

We have a P shop round the corner from us, but they won't sell me one of their P's to do my housework for me. They should call themselves a grocers or mini-mart if they aren't going to sell what everyone says they will.