We have all heard the song, but are they the most used or most basic herbs? I personally don't think so. At least they are not the most used in recipes. The most used of the four are parsley, thyme followed by ground rosemary. Sage and rosemary are pretty strong herbs not only in flavor but scent. Have you ever rubbed a sage or rosemary plant?
This photo is one of my spice racks that I have attached to my wall in the kitchen. Of course if you know me - they are alphabetically organized and are two deep. You can also see that I have no loyalty to one brand or type of container (glass or plastic). I do buy the small size because believe it or not spices do go stale and expire. Yes they have expiration dates on the containers (check on your own!). Spices are best used within the year to be the freshest - of course the sooner the better but dried spices will last a good amount of time. As I cook all the time, I go through them faster than most and even I have to buy some for ONE recipe and never use it again. Or, just as soon as I toss it, I need it for something. These spices are what I call my "overstock". I use these here and there but usually not in most of my popular recipes. So, to my point of this blog, what is the basic spices that I have that will be in most recipes? Well, I have narrowed that down to 21 of them that I keep in their own racks near the area where I prep and cook my food. I found these racks on Amazon if you were curious and they are magnetic and stick to the refrigerator.
So going from left to right and top to bottom are what I keep on hand as my basics. Ground rosemary, Italian herb mix, turmeric, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, basil (back top row) smokehouse maple, ground thyme, parsley, ground ginger, cinnamon. Bottom rack bay leaves, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, (back bottom row) red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, ground coriander, onion powder and cumin.
Now this is what I use most in what I cook and are in many recipes. I also keep very large containers of garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder and cumin and refill the smaller containers. These are my quick grab and go spices right by the stove prep area.
As part of my mise en place, I pull out all ingredients and spices that are needed and place them on my prep counter. That way I don't forget anything and everything is at the ready to go. A good practice to make a good meal. So, what basics should you have? Look at what you make and see what spices are most used and which ones you like! If I were setting you up for success I would make sure you have salt and pepper!
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