Herbal
Facts
Uses for Herbs and Spices
Herb/Food Combinations
ANISE Anise
Seeds can be sprinkled on coffee cakes, cookies and sweet rolls.
BASIL Basil
Fresh or dried leaves which can be used in salads, vegetables,
ragouts, sausages (rice and blood) and with tomato dishes.
a natural snipped in with tomatoes;
terrific in fresh pesto; other possibilities include pasta
sauce, peas, zucchini
BAY LEAF Bay
Dried leaf can be used in roasts, bean soup, ragout, or wherever a
poignant flavor is desired.
CARAWAY SEEDS
Good in sauerkraut, sweet cabbage, breads, rolls or mixed with cream
cheese. Can be sprinkled over meats such as pork, liver, kidneys
before cooking. Can be added to cucumber and beet salads.
CHERVIL
Fresh or dried leaves with a peppery flavor can be used in some
soups, salads and with chicken or fish.
CLOVES
Whole can be used for pork or ham roasts, hot wine, tea and in sweet
syrups. Ground cloves can be used in some soups and stews and also
in some pastries.
CHIVES
Has a delicate onion flavor and is used fresh finely chopped as a
garnish for salads, boiled new potatoes or mixed with cottage
cheese, dips and omelets.
CINNAMON
Stick is used in hot wine and other beverages. It is also used in
pickling. Ground cinnamon is used in pastries, "trijet" and cakes.
CILANTRO
Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cooking; salsas, tomatoes
CORIANDER
Seeds are used in spicing cookies, hot breads, green salads and
poultry stuffing. Ground coriander is used to flavor sausages and
fresh pork.
DILL
Fresh leaves are used in pickling, sauerkraut, bean soup, some
sauces salads, carrots, cottage cheese,
fish, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes
FENNEL
Seeds are used to flavor soups, pickled beets, sauerkraut, breads
and cakes. Leaves are used in sauces and green salads.
GARLIC
Cut up or chopped can be used in salads, stuffing for meat or
poultry, soups, meat jello. Kernel can be rubbed into roasts,
poultry and fish.
GINGER
Cracked ginger can be used in beverages and pickles. Ground ginger
is used in sauces and in baking.
MINT
Fresh leaves are used with lamb, in salads,
fruit salads, carrots, parsley, peas, tabouli
and for flavoring soups,
sauces, beverages and marmalades.
MUSTARD
Mustard flour is used in meat dishes and sauces and gravies. Mustard
seeds are used to sprinkle over salads and in pickling meats.
NUTMEG
Ground nutmeg is used in baking and sauces. Can be sprinkled over
fruit, puddings, custards and omelets.
ONION
Chopped onions can be used with stews, goulash, soup and stuffing's.
Sliced onions can be used in salads such as bean, cucumber, beet,
potato and pea.
OREGANO
peppers, tomatoes
PAPRIKA
Ground paprika is used in goulash, paprikash, salad dressing and
over poultry before roasting.
PARSLEY
The curly leaf is the most common, but the
flat-leaf or Italian parsley is more strongly flavored and often
preferred for cooking. Naturals for parsley include potato salad, tabouli
PEPPER
Whole pepper is used for pickling and in soups. Ground pepper is
used in most cooking for flavor.
POPPY SEED
Used in "potica," cookies, cakes, with noodles and as a topping on
breads and rolls.
ROSEMARY
This spicy herb is used fresh in sauces and stews and on roasts.
Especially good in all lamb dishes and wild game.
chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted potatoes,
soups, stews, tomatoes
SAFFRON
Dried saffron is used to flavor sauces, soups, rice and poultry.
Used sparingly in breads, rolls and cakes. Can also be used as a
coloring agent.
SAGE
Fresh or dried can be used in sausage and stuffing, with veal and
pork roasts and in chicken soup and
poultry
seasoning,
SAVORY
Used in some soups, salads, sausages, stuffing's, lamb stews and with
scrambled eggs.
SWEET MARJORAM
Can be used in soups, rice sausage, egg salad, salad dressing and
vegetables. It has a mint flavor and may be used either fresh or
dried.
THYME
Very pungent. The dried leaves can be used in
eggs, lima beans, potatoes, poultry,
summer squash, tomatoes, soup, meat stews, stuffing's and salad dressings.
TARRAGON
Can be used in "pehtranova potica," in salad dressings, sauces, egg,
fish and
chicken dishes and with chops and steaks. Also tasty with
creamed mushrooms and can be added to vinegar for salad dressings.
WINTER SAVORY
dried bean dishes, stews
Common Culinary:
Basil; Bay; Caraway; Chervil; Chives; Cilentro; Dill; Fennel; French
Sorrel; Garlic; Horse Radish; Lemon Balm; Lemon Thyme; Lovage;
Marjoram; Mints; Oregano; Parsley; Rosemary; Sage; Salad Burnett;
Savory; Sweet Cicely; Tarragon; Upright Thymes
Companion Planting
Basil/Tomatoe - Borage/Strawberry - Calendula/all over -
Chamomile/Onion or Cabbage - Chervil/ Radish - Chives/Carrots or
Tomatoes - Dill/Cabbage Family - Garlic/ Raspberries or Roses -
Hyssop/Cabbage - Mint/ Raspberry - Nasturium/Squash -
Parsley/Asparagus - Summer Savory/Beans - Sage/Carrots - Tagetes/all
over -
Exotics
Bay laurel; Cuban Oregano; Dittany of Crete; Fruit Sage; Lemon
Eucalyptus; Lemon Verbena; Mexican Tarragon; Pineapple Sage; Scented
Geranium; Stevia; Topiary Rosemary; Vietnamese Coriander
Edible Herbs and Flowers
1. Eat flowers only when positive of identification. Not all flowers
are edible and some are toxic.
2. Eat only unsprayed, organically grown flowers. Do not eat roses
from a florist.
3. Eat petals, not pollen centre.
Basil; Borage; Calendula; Chive; Cornflower; Daylily; Dianthus;
Garlic; Chive; Honeysuckle; Johnny-Jump-Up; Lavender; Mint;
Nasturium; Pansy; Pineapple Sage; Rose; Rosemary Sage; Scented
Geranium; Sweet Woodruff; Tuberous Begonia; Violet
Tea Herbs
Anise Hyssop; Angelica; Cinnamon Basil; Calendula; Catnip; German
Chamomile; Dill; Fennel; Hyssop; Lemon Balm; Lemon Catnip; Orange
Mint; Pineapple Sage; Red Bergamot; Rose Hips; Rose Petals; Sages;
Scented Geraniums; Sweet Cicely; Sweet Marjoram; Thymes
Balcony Herbs
Basil; Bay Tree; Borage Bush; Clives 'Grolau'; Chervil; Cuban
Oregano; Dill 'Durak' French Sorrel; Garlic Chives; Lemon Verbena;
Mints; Oregano; Parsley; Rosemary; Scented Geranium; Spanish and
French lavenders; Sweet Marjoram; Summer Savory; Tarragon; Thyme
Knot Gardens
Bay Tree (esp. standard form in pot); Hedging Rugosa Roses; Hyssop;
Upright Germander; Lavender (esp. "Munstead" & "Jean Davis");
Rosemary; Rue (esp. Jackman's Blue); Sage (esp. purple and golden
varieties); Santolinas; Southernwood; Upright Thymes; Winter Savory;
Wormwood
Repelling Insects
Inter-plant strong scented herbs to help confuse hungry bugs! Anise;
Basil; Catnip; Chives; Garlic Chives; Lavender; Marigold; Mint;
Parsley; Rosemary; Sage; Tagetes; Thyme
Shady Gardens
Ajuga; Angelica; Bergamot; Catnip; Chamomile; Chervil; Coriander;
Comfrey; Corsican Mint; Costmary; Dill; Eve; Primrose; Fennel;
Feverfew; French Sorrel; Germander; Hyssop; Lady's Bedstraw; Lady's
Mantle; Lemon Balm; Lovage; Lungwort; Mint; Parsley; Pennyroyal;
Salad Burnett; Sweet Cicely; Violets; Wormwood; Wood Betony;
For Complete Shade: Sweet Woodruff only
Bees & Butterflies
Angelica Ascelpsia; Basil Boragel Buddleia; Catnip; Comfrey; Dill;
Echinacea; Fennel; Foxglove; Hyssop; Lavender; Lemon Balm; Lovage;
Marigold; Marjoram; Mint; Nettles; Parsley; Oregano; Red Bergamot;
Rosemary; Sage; Scabiosa; Sunflower; Thyme; Yarrow
Cat Loving
Aloe; Catmin; Catnip; Cat Thyme; Chamomile; Pennyroyal; Rosemary;
Valerian
Cat Repelling
Rue
Medicine Herbs
Arnica; Betony; Boneset; Calendula; Catnip; Chamomiles; Clary Sage;
Coltsfoot; Comfrey; Echinacea; Elecampagne; Feverfew; Garlic; Golden
Seal; Greater Celandine; Horehound; Hyssop; Joe Pye Weed; Lady's
Mantle; Lavender; Marshmallow; Motherwort; Mugwort; Pennyroyal;
Scullcap; St. John's Wort; Valerian; Vervain
Wreath Herbs
Artemesias; Bay; Bergamot; Boxwood; Cornflowers; Curry plant; Dyer's
Chamomile; Eucalyptus; German Statice; Globe Amaranth; Hyssop;
Larkspur; Lavender; Lemon Verbena; Mugwort; Myrtle; Nigella;
Rosemary; Rose; Sage; Santolina; Scented Geranium; Statice;
Strawflower; Sweet Annie; Tansy; Teasel; Thyme; Yarrow
Silver Herbs
Artemesias; Catnip (esp. "Seven Hills"); Costmary; Dittany of Crete;
English Curry; Eryngium; Horehound; Lambs Ear; Lavender; Mullein;
Sages; Santolina; Silver Clary; Sage; Southernwood; Wooly Thyme;
Wormwood; Yarrow (esp. "Moonshine")
Dream Pillow
Begin with a base of 1/3 dried Mugwort plus a mix of the following
medicinals: Chamomiles; Hops; Hyssop; Lavender; Linden; Pennyroyal;
Scullcap; Thymes; Valerian; Vervain
Optional: add fragrant potpourris flowers and greens
Potpourris Herbs
Achillia the Pearl; Acrolinium; Anise; Hyssop; Astrantia; Baby's
Breath; Bay; Bergamot; Calendula; Chamomile; Clary Sage; Corn
Flowers; Dianthus; Echinacea; English Curry Plant; Hyssop;
Immortelle; Larkspur; Lemon Balm; Lemon Bergamot; Lemon Verbena;
Lavender; Mints; Orris Root; Pennyroyal; Peony; Roses; Rosemary;
Sage; Santolina; Statice; Strawflowers; Thyme; Violet; Yarrow
Dye Herbs
Agrimony; Anchusa; Calendula; Coltsfoot; Dyer's Chamomile; Lady's
Bedstraw; Madder; Marigold; Nettle; Parsley; St. John's Wort;
Sorrel; Tansy; Weld; Woad
Houseleek
Substitutions
Herb Substitution Chart
You may find yourself in a situation where you are out of a
specified herb in a recipe or perhaps you just don't care for that
specific herb. This chart will help you choose substitutions or
alternatives that should work with your recipe. Whenever
substituting, you must realize that the flavor will not be as
originally intended in the recipe. As such, it is wise to begin your
substitution with half the specified recipe amount and then adjust
to your own personal tastes. You should always feel free to adjust
and add to any recipe to suit yourself and your family. Who knows?
You just might create a new family favorite!
Herb Substitutions
Basil Oregano or thyme
Chervil Tarragon or parsley
Chive Green onion; onion; or leek
Cilantro Parsley
Italian Seasoning Blend of any of these: basil, oregano, rosemary,
and ground red pepper
Marjoram Basil; thyme; or savory
Mint Basil; marjoram; or rosemary
Oregano Thyme or basil
Parsley Chervil or cilantro
Poultry Seasoning Sage plus a blend of any of these: thyme,
marjoram, savory, black pepper, and rosemary
Red Pepper Dash bottled hot pepper sauce or black pepper
Rosemary Thyme; tarragon; or savory
Sage Poultry seasoning; savory; marjoram; or rosemary
Savory Thyme; marjoram; or sage
Tarragon Chervil; dash fennel seed; or dash aniseed
Thyme Basil; marjoram; oregano; or savory
Spice Substitution Chart
You may find yourself in a situation where you are out of a
specified spice in a recipe or perhaps you just don't care for that
specific spice. This chart will help you choose substitutions or
alternatives that should work with your recipe. Whenever
substituting, you must realize that the flavor will not be as
originally intended in the recipe. As such, it is wise to begin your
substitution with half the specified recipe amount and then adjust
to your own personal tastes. You should always feel free to adjust
and add to any recipe to suit yourself and your family. Who knows?
You just might create a new family favorite!
Spice Substitutions
Allspice Cinnamon; cassia; dash of nutmeg or mace; or dash of cloves
Aniseed Fennel seed or a few drops anise extract
Cardamom Ginger
Chili Powder Dash bottled hot pepper sauce plus a combination of
oregano and cumin
Cinnamon Nutmeg or allspice (use only 1/4 of the amount)
Cloves Allspice; cinnamon; or nutmeg
Cumin Chili powder
Ginger Allspice; cinnamon; mace; or nutmeg
Mace Allspice; cinnamon; ginger; or nutmeg
Nutmeg Cinnamon; ginger; or mace
Saffron Dash turmeric (for color)
Sunflower
Tansy
Tea Combinations
Herbal Tea Combinations
Many herbs make excellent teas on their own. My favorite summer tea
is spearmint or peppermint fresh from my herb garden.
Use approximately two tablespoons of fresh herbs for every cup of
tea desired or 1 teaspoon of dried. Experiment with different
combinations and the amount of herbs you like in yours. Here are a
few combinations to get you started.
Anise, chamomile, bee balm
Betony and lavender flowers
Lemon verbena, lemon balm and borage flowers
Chamomile and spearmint or applemint
Chamomile and valerian
Lemon verbena, lemongrass and lemon thyme
Scented geranium and chocolate mint
Scented geranium and lemongrass
Spearmint and peppermint
herb spice list-use
Herbs and Spices
or What goes with what?
This is just a very dull alphabetical list of herbs and spices and
things you can use them in, primarily aimed at an American or
European audience. Dried herbs are best stored in well sealed small
containers, out of direct sunlight or heat.
If there is a seasoning you might be interested in, but don't
remember ever trying, first ask someone who is more familiar with
them, or if you have a health food that sells herbs and spices in
bulk, you can smell the real thing before you purchase it. If still
unsure, find someone to share in the purchase. Be sure to package
each share in a small well sealed container. Herbs lose their value
quickly if exposed to the air, sunlight, or heat
As another guide to a first purchase, look for the spices or herbs
that go on the things you like most. You may be familiar with the
flavor, but not have known the name.
Herbs
Basil - use on/in: cheese, eggs, green beans, lamb, peas, potatoes,
poultry, salad dressings, sauces, soups, tomatoes, mushrooms, fish
Bay Leaf (Laurel) - use on/in: fish, pickling, sauces and gravies,
stews and soups
Capers - use on/in: fish, sea food
Chervil (like parsley) - use on/in: eggs, fish, peas and carrots,
poultry, salad dressings, salads, summer squash, tomatoes
Chives (slight onion flavor) - use on/in: cheese, eggs, meats,
poultry, salads, soups, sauces, vegetables, spaghetti
Coriander - use on/in: meat, poultry, in herb teas
Dill - use on/in: creamed cheese/cottage cheese, fish, potato,
sauces, spaghetti, tomatoes, vegetables
Garlic - use on/in: soups, salads, stews, spaghetti sauce, meats
Horse-radish - use to make sauce for: meats, cold meats, potatoes
Marjoram - (use sparingly) on/in: cheese/eggs, chicken, fish, meat
stews, stuffings, vegetables - carrots, greens, lima beans, squash
Mint (various mint flavors) - use on/in: meat, salads, garnish, iced
drinks
Oregano - use on/in: cheese, omelets, pizza, pork, spaghetti sauce,
stews, vegetables
Parsley - use on/in: salads, meats, stews, garnish
Pennyroyal - (use sparingly) on/in: salads
Poultry Seasoning (usually ground mixture based on sage) - use
on/in: poultry stuffings, corn bread
Rosemary - use on/in: Biscuits, lamb, potatoes, poultry, roast beef,
sauces for meat or fish, stews, vegetables
Sage - (use lightly) on/in: cheese, fish, pork, poultry, sausage,
tomatoes, salads
Savory - use on/in: eggs, baked beans, lima beans, beef and meat
loaf, potatoes, squash, rice, vegetable soups
Shallots - use like chives
Tarragon - (use sparingly) on/in: eggs, poultry, salads, sauces, sea
food, tomatoes, vegetables - beets, greens, mushrooms, peas
Thyme - (use sparingly) on/in: breads, cheeese, fish, stews,
stuffings, pork, vegetables - carrots, eggplant, peas, tomatoes
· Spices
Allspice (resembles a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) -
cakes, cookies, pickling, gravies, meats, fish, tomato sauces
Aniseed (Licorice-like flavor) - cheesecakes, sweet rolls, fruit
Caroway Seeds - saurkraut, cabbage, noodles, soups, breads and
rolls, pork, cheese spreads
Cardamom Seeds - cookies, cakes
Cayenne Pepper (a hot chili pepper) - sauces, eggs, meat, sea food,
stews
Celery Seeds - cheese, fish, salad dressings, sauces, stews, eggs,
tomatoes, salads, vegetables
Chili Powder (a blend of ground chili peppers and spices) - Chili
con carne, hot sauces, eggs, gravies, sea food, stews
Cinnamon - sweet potatoes, toast, apples, cakes, cookies, puddings,
hot biscuits
Cloves - ham, peaches, stews, vebetables, beets, potatoes
Curry Powder (a blend of spices used to make a sauce for) - eggs,
meat, fish, poultry, vegetables
Dill Seeds - gravies, soup, potato salad, salads, sourkraut,
cabbage, cauliflower
Ginger - gingerbread, pumpkin pie, chicken, summer squash
Mace (use like nutmeg)
Mustard (ground seed) - eggs, cheese sauces
Nutmeg - cakes, breads, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, in sweet
dessert sauces
Paprika - fish, gravies, salad dressings, sea food, vegetables, eggs
Pepper - soups, eggs, stews, soups, salads, almost anything really
Poppy Seeds - eggs, gravies, bread, salads, noodles
Saffron (the world's most expensive spice) - breads and rolls, rice
· And one special one:
This one is on the list because there is absolutely no reason why
you should ever buy it. Cinnamon-sugar. You can mix a little ground
cinnamon with enough sugar to make it to your liking. If you don't
have a container to put it in, wait until you get one. Don't buy
cinnamon-sugar. No one is that rich. You aren't going to be able to
come up with some life-or-death excuse that I'll believe to explain
why you bought that container of cinnamon-sugar. That's it! You buy
it, you're out of here! That's final!
Spice
Blends
"In the beginning, there was James Beard and there was curry
and that was about all."
-- Nora Ephron
Humans have been using spices almost as long as they've been eating.
Just as classic recipes evolved, so did spice blends. By making your
own mixes, you can adjust flavors to suit your personal needs.
Major Spice Blends
Probably the most widely-recognized spice blend is curry powder.
Curries can contain as little as two or three different spices or up
to fifty or more. There is no set amount or ingredient list for most
spice mixtures. They have evolved based on personal tastes and
should always be adjusted to suit your own needs.
Preparation
If you plan on making your own spice blends at home, you will want
to invest in an electric spice grinder. Luckily, they are
inexpensive. If you should have difficulty finding a spice grinder
for some odd reason, you can also use a electric coffee grinder with
equal success. You should be able to find either for around $15 and
surely under $25. Of course, you can always resort to grinding by
hand with a mortar and pestle. Many spice blend recipes will
recommend toasting whole spices over high heat in a dry, heavy
skillet before grinding them into a powder. This helps to release
more flavor from the spices.
Storage
Unless you use a particular spice blend a lot or intend to split up
a batch to give as gifts, don't plan on making a huge batch at once.
It's best to make smaller batches that can be used within a month's
time. Spices lose potency and flavor over time. Light, moisture and
heat are the worst enemies of spices, so keep them in a
tightly-sealed container in a cool, dark place. Although it may be
more convenient, you should not store your spices near your stove or
in open racks on the counter.
.
Herbal Basics -Tips and Tricks
Storing, Substituting, When to Pick or Purchase Herbs, Herb Preparation, Freezing Herbs, Preparing Herbs for Cooking, Cleaning Herbs
Aromatherapy Herbal Blends and more information
Herb Companion Chart Companion plants, repellents, container plants and what goes with what
Cultivation Guide to Composting, Side-Dress How Much, Compaction Aerate.
Cooking Chart
Herbs for Cooking
The following chart lists some of the more common herbs and the
various combinations of herbs they work best with for each of the
food categories. For example if you wanted to use basil in a beef
dish, you will see that it blends with oregano and parsely or with
thyme, or with parsley and thyme.
Beef - Oregano/Parsley Thyme Parsley/Onion - Thyme Parsley/Onion Thyme
Use Alone - Bay Leaf Basil/Bay Leaf
Chicken - Parsley Thyme Oregano/Thyme Parsely/Lemon Parsley Basil
Tarragon/Parsley Thyme Thyme Parsley/Lemon Basil/Lemon Oregano/Parsely
Basil/Oregano/Tarragon
White Fish - Thyme Rosemary/Thyme Lemon Parsley Parsley/Lemon Marjoram
Use Alone Lemon/Onion Chives/Dill Parsley
Turkey - Rosemary/Parsley Thyme/Parsley - Rosemary/Thyme - Thyme - Use
Alone
Vegetables Green Beans, Tomatoes. Carrots, Turnips Green Beans,
Eggplant, Zuchini, Tomatoes Turnips, Potatoes, Squash Squash, Beans
Asparagus, Cauliflower Artichoke, Asparagus, Eggplant, Potatoes,
Tomatoes
Basil is best in Italian dishes. Puree with garlic, romano cheese,
and walnuts to make pesto. Great in salads, soups and stews.
Dill is good with vegetables and fish sauces. Often served in salmon
dishes.
Oregano is well known for its use in Italian dishes.
Rosemary is wonderful with roasted potatoes. Also use in poultry and
meat dishes.
Sage is used mostly in stuffings and meat dishes. It aids in
digestion.
Tarragon is good with roasted meats and poultry dishes. Tarragon
herb butter and vinegars are delicious.
Thyme is good with most any dish.
herbal e-books, recipes and so much more
