Using Whole Spices is Like Way Better!

When ever possible I'd much rather use whole spices as opposed to the ground spices you'll find on any store shelf. I usually will go to a spice shop and purchase my choice of whole spices and then grind them or use a micro-plane ( a fine grater) as I need them. Spices have essential oils in them which give them the distinctive flavor that we are after. When they are ground and sit on store shelves for however long it is until you purchase them, they lose a great deal of those oils and along with them goes the flavor. When you use whole spices, those oils are trapped inside and very little is lost when you grind as you go. Another thing I like to do when I grind them is to put them in a little pan and heat them very slowly until you can smell them "Wake Up". This releases the oils even more giving you an even more flavorful spice. Another thing that will preserve your spices is storing them in a cool dry place away from sunlight. Sunlight is excess heat that can also damage those essential oils causing them to dry out faster than they normally would. I know a popular place to keep spices is in that little cabinet above the stove, but again heat is not a friend to spices unless it is the heat of them being cooked. If you think about these few tips when you purchase, store and cook with spices, you'll get the true essence of what using spices is all about! Cheers!