Herbs, Spices, & Seasonings

For starters, here's how to choose the best bulbs.

With the exception of perhaps oil, few pantry staples come in as many varieties as vinegar. I regularly keep on hand no fewer than seven different vinegars: red wine, white wine, champagne, sherry, rice, apple cidar and balsamic. Later on, I discovered white balsamic vinegar, a blend of white grape must and white wine vinegar. Recently, while scanning through the ingredients list of a recipe I was making, I came across a vinegar I was unfamiliar with – White balsamic vinegar.

Here are three tricks I use to give my everyday rice a little extra oomph in the flavor department.

For all you garlic lovers out there!

Pomegranate molasses has become one of my favorite ingredients, but it’s a tricky one for many people. Perhaps you, like our assistant editor Ariel, bought a bottle to make one recipe, such as muhammara, and now you’re wondering what else to do with it. Ariel has been after me for months to write down a list of more ideas for pomegranate molasses.

This Korean red pepper paste will add serious kick and depth of flavor to anything you stir it into.

When it comes to beans and lessening their “digestive consequences,” we have two main strategies: one, soak them before cooking and two, add epazote. Not familiar with epazote? Learn all about this pungent Mexican herb, plus how to cook with it.Epazote (pronounced eh-puh-ZOE-tay) is an herb native to Mexico and Central America that is perhaps best known for its carminative, or gas-relieving, properties.

Who doesn’t want a dollop of melted chive butter on their grilled steak or a dash of zesty chive vinegar on their salad in the dead of winter? I love blowing my guests away at a dinner party in December with flavors that evoke the smells, memories, and tastes of summer. Chive is a garden staple that can be preserved and used in many ways. Finding ways to enjoy the vibrant flavors of summer all year-round is one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening.

More and more of us are discovering what a fantastic ingredient concentrated miso paste can be in our daily cooking – and not just for soup! Happily, many major stores have caught on and are starting to carry a variety of traditional misos to choose from. There are different types of misos and each is made from soybeans that have been fermented with either rice, barley or other grains. The real question is: how to choose?

Amp up fried chicken, deviled eggs, and much more.

Star anise just may be the most unique and fun-looking spice in the pantry. But it's more than just good looks.

This makes it so much easier.

Many of us keep heaps of spices on hand in the kitchen, and that can create quite the storage conundrum. From wrangling dozens of little bulk-bin bags to rummaging around in the cupboard for the right jar, the whole process shouldn’t be so maddening. We love seeing how other cooks store and organize their spices because we’re always on the lookout for that “why didn’t I think of that?” tip.

As a kid, pancakes weren’t pancakes without the good stuff. And by the good stuff, I mean real maple syrup — not that artificially flavored, corn syrup-laden imposter. We’d pick up a big jug in the spring and it would last us through the year, for special weekend breakfasts and early morning oatmeal. Now, as an adult, my pantry isn’t fully stocked unless there’s a bottle of maple syrup in it. But lately I’ve discovered that just one bottle won’t cut it.

These substitutes are full of flavor and super easy to find.

This versatile warm spice gives a distinctive flavor to both sweet and savory dishes.

You know, if you're into that kind of thing.

Try this quick-fix and get cooking.

There's a lot to know about paprika and all of its varieties.

We've got answers!

No blanching required.

It's a great way to get your anger out while you're cooking.

No messy bowls. No bruised, sticky cloves.

A recent video on TikTok shows you how to prep and freeze a "boatload of garlic" so you'll never be without your favorite allium.

There’s something that truly can’t compare to the warm, sweet scent of vanilla. Beloved in everything from ice cream to cakes, a vanilla is as much a scent as it is a powerful flavor. Even in chocolate recipes, vanilla acts as a secret ingredient that makes everything taste just a little bit better. You’ll most often see vanilla extract called for in recipes, but there’s a whole world of vanilla products to explore.

Here are 3 times you can skip mincing garlic, even when a recipe calls for it.

Here's everything you need to know about making black garlic at home: what works, what doesn't, and whether it's even worth it.

So what really is galangal and how does it compare to ginger?

That weird stuff in your vinegar bottle isn't harmful — and it can actually help you make more vinegar!

Tiny upgrades, big results.

The purpose of adding salt isn't to make food tasty salty — it's to enhance the flavors of the ingredients.

The winner uses a little heat to save time.

Plus where coriander seeds fit into the equation!

Use them together or individually for that smoky, from-the-grill flavor!

It elevates even the most everyday meal.

Here’s the scoop on both.

Magic happens when two humble condiments join forces.

This step-by-step guide will show you how it's done.

You only need a dash!

Wonder no more about this pantry staple's shelf life.

It's okay if you didn't know already. We've got everything you need to know right here.

Is your favorite on the list?

If you've ever looked at a recipe for pickles or chutneys, you may have encountered an ingredient simply called "pickling spice."

Don't waste a single clove!

It's simple, but it works.

The truly transformative pantry staple beats the pants off your dry beans.

I'll never store my herbs any other way.

Remember these tricks and you'll never have to throw away a slimly, wilted bunch again.

The stems hold so much potential.

You can actually use them for so much more.

A pinch of savory spice is my favorite trick for giving cookies an extra, and sometimes unexpected boost of flavor.

Cinnamon-scented and oh-so-good.

Whoa!

You’ve probably already seen the video demonstrating how easy it is to peel a head of garlic using two bowls, but here’s another method to try. All it takes about 20 seconds and a microwave. Heat a head of garlic in a microwave for about 20 seconds and the cloves will slide right out of their skins with no mess and no sticky garlic juices.

Sweating, flushed face, light-headed, fiery mouth? Yup, you’ve been eating chili peppers! Here’s how to eat spicy foods without going into complete shock – and even how you might build up your tolerance for the heat!All those symptoms that happen in your body when you eat spicy foods are caused by a chemical in chili peppers called capsaicin.

How many times have we delicately salted a dish…and salted a little more…and a wee bit more…and then, oops! Suddenly our dish has gone from under-seasoned to tasting like seawater. Can anything be done to save a dish once we’ve added too much salt?Unfortunately, once it’s in there, there’s no getting it back out again – no matter how long you stare at the pot and curse under your breath!

Tamarind is one of the not-so-secret ingredients in a lot of Asian cooking. Eating a bowl of pad thai or a spoonful of chutney with your roti, you might not necessarily realize it’s there. But if it’s left out, food just don’t taste quite right! What is this mystery ingredient?Until we started researching this post, we didn’t realize that the tamarind tree is actually native to Africa.

Can you tell the difference between imitation vanilla and the real stuff in your baked goods? The chefs at Cook’s Illustrated decided to put this to the test, and their results may surprise you. Get the scoop on this and our other favorite picks from the March/April issue after the jump!Real Vs.

It wasn’t easy to settle on just one tip, as there are many excellent techniques in the late Judy Rodgers’ The Zuni Cafe Cookbook (read my review here). I was tempted to highlight her brilliant move of drizzling a teaspoon of hot vinegar over fried eggs to complement and balance their richness. Instead, I landed on this excellent solution for that dreadful moment when you’ve added too much oil to your hand-mixed mayonnaise.

Extra virgin, pure, light, cold-pressed, certified… Perusing the olive oil section at the market can be daunting. What do these labels mean?Olive oil labels can have so many phrases and seals that we’ve often felt dizzy trying to choose the “right” bottle. We’ve wondered which descriptors are meaningful, and which, if any, are just marketing.