Natural Spices

Fresh

• Using fresh natural spices is one way of taking advantage of nutrients and flavors when they are at their strongest and most potent. Fresh spices can be purchased or grown in kitchen containers, although some of the more exotic spices are only available in ethnic grocery stores. Examples include fresh tumeric root or Asian cilantro. However, the popularity of some spices make it very easy to find them fresh in a standard grocery store (e.g., garlic and ginger are widely available).

Preserved

• Natural spices can be preserved by either drying or freezing them. In both cases, the flavor and nutrient content is sometimes lessened, but they are still a better option than chemically derived flavorings. In the case of some spices, such as black or white pepper and nutmeg, natural spices should be dried before they are used otherwise their full flavor is not developed. This is because drying certain spices reduces the water content of the spice, forcing the taste of the spice to become more concentrated. You can dry or freeze your own spices, or they can also be purchased at a conventional grocery store.

Cooking

• Natural spices can be used for cooking in a variety of ways. They can be added to marinades to season foods before cooking them, or they can also be added directly during cooking. Some natural spices should only be added at specific times in the cooking process in order to take full advantage of their potential. For example, bay leaf should be added at the start of the cooking period, otherwise it may not have sufficient time to release all of its flavor. In turn, black pepper should be added at the end of the cooking period or even just before eating as long cooking times can turn the pepper and the food bitter.

Teas

• Natural spices can also be used either dried or fresh in teas. They are often added to green or black teas, or used on their own to make herbal teas. One example is using dried or fresh lemon peel with black or green tea to add a citrus flavor. Other uses are dried lavender blossoms with black teas. A well-known herbal tea is mint tea, which is made from dried or fresh mint. As in the case of cooking, some spices are best used fresh, while others work better when they are dried. As well, it can be difficult to find fresh versions of certain spices, such as cinnamon.