Herbs and spice knowledge, how to keep and cook

© Janneke's Recipe pages - tips and tricks

Cayenne pepper:

Better not cook because will taste bitter. Add just before serving.

Chile powder:

Activate the veins and make lively (according to experts). Available from mild to tasty, so pay attention when adding to a recipe.

Dill:

Not only delicious at salmon but also well for falling asleep: Place a large tablespoon dill in a tea egg and hang it some minutes in a glass boiling water.

Curry:

Can't stand the light: keep in a dark jar or in a dark cupboard.

Red bell pepper powder:

Keep in a dark jar. 2 types: edelsuß and scharp, careful use the last one. Don't bake: gets bitter.

Pepper:

Black, white, red and green are all from the same plant. Black are dried green, immature berries. Green are sold in cans or jars. White pepper from the ripe berries where the red the skin has been peeled off. The red pepper comes in jars.

Thyme:

The taste dominates fast therefore use carefully. Delicious at beef, wild and poultry. Thyme tea at bowel and flatulence complaints and bronchitis: 2 tablespoons thyme in 1 liter boiling water, simmer and sweeten with honey.

Ve-tsin:

Not really a spice but a taste amplifier in the oriental kitchen: intensifies the taste of the meal (take care: an allergic response occur at some people).

First published: April 12, 2003, Netherlands