Dry spices

[ismael9467]

I bought a huge stack of spices(I think they are called dry, as they are dried out and come in containers).
Most of these spices taste like dirt. The parsley smells nothing like the fresh one. The dill and the coriander have the same disgusting smell.
I don't know about the other spices because I never smelled them fresh, but they are: Tumeric, Cumin, Caraway seeds, Oregano, Bay leaves and Black pepper.

I'm also not sure if the taste is as ugly as the smell since it is difficult to analyze it in the dish.
Not being a real conosciour, I usually fail to recognize the difference between many products, but these spices barely even remind me of the fresh versions.

How is that?

[ramon9456]

You have purchased both herbs and spices though in some places the terms are used interchangeably.

"Herbs are obtained from the leaves of herbaceous (non-woody) plants. They are used for savory purposes in cooking and some have medicinal value. Herbs often are used in larger amounts than spices. Herbs originated from temperate climates such as Italy, France, and England. Herb also is a word used to define any herbaceous plant that dies down at the end of the growing season and may not refer to its culinary value at all.

Spices are obtained from roots, flowers, fruits, seeds or bark. Spices are native to warm tropical climates and can be woody or herbaceous plants. Spices often are more potent and stronger flavored than herbs; as a result they typically are used in smaller amounts. Some spices are used not only to add taste, but also as a preservative."
Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University

Your herbs are the:
parsley
dill
oregano
bay leaves

Your spices are the:
coriander
turmeric
cumin
caraway seed
black pepper

In future don’t buy in bulk. Just contact www.jamaicathings.com (http://www.jamaicathings.com)
The eating experience is as much aroma as it is flavor which are exuded by both herbs, and even more so by spices.

Herbs will not be as fragrant when dried as when they are fresh although there are a few exceptions such as rosemary and thyme. Most will agree that herbs like parsley and basil are not worth drying because the dehydrated product is mild to the point of being undetectable.

Both herbs and spices contain oils that do not evaporate upon dehydration. These oils can be brought out by the heat applied during cooking just as many nuts are toasted before incorporating them into a dish in order to release their oils.

I am curious as to why you purchased them. Did you have specific dishes in mind or things that you wanted to try with these ingredients?

[Jenyfari]

Dried herbs will smell different to fresh. Is there a use-by date on them as they could also be old.

[Liketobake]

Dried herbs last a very long time. Not sure on the expiry date because we grow our own and either have them dry, frozen or fresh.

Good choices on what you purchased. Herbs are very versitle and healthy as well. There are so many trace elements you give your body when you cook with herbs.

:)

[Semigourmet]

I would say if you have had them for more than 2 years it might be time to replace them. don't throw it out first, get the new one first open it and take a good wif, see if it smells different.

[Semigourmet]

you might want to put a bit in your hand and crush it a bit and see how it smells. that might bring it back to life a bit. and release some aroma

[shepherdgirl]

Watkins has a wonderful line of high-quality herbs and spices. They have won awards for their quality.

You can look and order them here: watkinsonline.com/andersland

[Barksdale]

Dried herbs last a very long time. Not sure on the expiry date because we grow our own and either have them dry, frozen or fresh.

Good choices on what you purchased. Herbs are very versitle and healthy as well. There are so many trace elements you give your body when you cook with herbs.

:)

That's actually not true. Dried herbs and spices do not last a very long time. They grow stale within a period of months. After a year they are basically sawdust.

Buying in bulk is never a good thing. Neither is buying from the supermarket unless you have to.

Buy a few things from Penzeys or Spice House and you will most definitely see a HUGE qualitative improvement in the taste and aroma of dry herbs and spices.

[Liketobake]

Hi Barksdalle

I disagree with you.. If you cook often and use alot of herbs in your cooking then there is no reason not to buy in bulk, unless you enjoy spending money that you don't need to spend..We always buy the biggest container of herbs we can find, and they have never gone bad.. Even our herbs that we grow in the garden and freeze have never gone bad. I suppose if you don't cook very often or don't use herbs much when you cook then they may go bad on you....In this house though we use herbs in everything from cooking to baking (breads, soups, even our home made pizza crust is loaded with herbs).

Anyways just my opinion though....
:p

[Barksdale]

I cook a lot and have been doing so for 30 years and could never go through a bulk container of anything. I also grow herbs and freeze or dry them when frost comes.

It's a fact that dried herbs or spices begin to degrade the moment they are dried. That's just physics. It takes time to get to the point when their taste is compromised, but that point does come. In general a year later most dry herbs or spices are stale and tasteless and sometimes bitter.

If you buy in bulk and can use them up in a year, then by all means do so. But if you can't then you are much better off buying in smaller quantities.

Also rememebr that you have no idea when the spices/herbs in the jar that you buy were processed. It could have been some time ago.

Also, once you shop at Penzey's you'll probably never buy elsewhere again. A trip to one of their retail stores, in particular, will make you a convert forever. Top quality at very reasonable prices.

[Liketobake]

Yeah we use alot of herbs. Probably go through one of those very large containers in 5-7 months on average...

Too bad where I live in Canada I have never seen a Penzey's, sounds like a neat store though.:)

[NOCHEF&JUSTLOVESFOOD.YUM]

I have shopped Penzey's for years and love them. Everyone has a valid point, depends on how much and how often you cook with them. Some like pantry
" OMG I am out of fresh" category ( onion, garlic, black peppercorns, chilis) I buy in bulk, put some out and freeze the rest. 3-4 months tops. Specialty spices that I don't use as often, I buy the bottle and rotate them in my pantry stock.

Either way, our agreement and our mission is clear, use fresh, or use the best dried, no store stuff and pass their praises along to the new cooks!

[Barksdale]

Yeah we use alot of herbs. Probably go through one of those very large containers in 5-7 months on average...

Too bad where I live in Canada I have never seen a Penzey's, sounds like a neat store though.:)

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html


They are primarily a mail-order house, but have maybe 30 retail stores across the US.

They offer simply the finest quality products and are really not much more expensive than supermarket products and sometimes less so.