Three years ago ( WOW – I cannot believe it has been that long ) I wrote this post on a few tips I have learned on how to keep your turkey juicy.  With Thanksgiving tomorrow for the folks in the United States, I thought I would share some turkey tips again that I have used in the past and present.

Most turkeys become dry for two basic reasons.

• The first is that the bird is being overcooked. All meat, fish, and poultry dries out if it is cooked too long.
• The second cause of dry turkey is the way it is prepared and cooked.

What I would like to go over in this next section are some ways that will ensure your turkey stays juicy the next time you fire up your oven.  I think I am about to go against a lot of traditional techniques, so by all means feel free to comment and tell me that I am losing my mind.

1. Create a bed for the turkey in the roasting pan – I like to use carrots, celery, onion (slice them large and create a flat surface for the turkey.  Place a rack on the vegetable base.
2. Flavor the bird. When you buy turkeys they do not come seasoned!  Use your favorite seasonings on it  – flavoring the cavity is a great tip and I also like to throw an apple in the neck cavity.  It keeps it juicy as well as adds a nice flavor.
3. Use a roasting pan three inches deep or less and a rack for even roasting. If the bird sits on the bottom of the pan, or the pan’s sides are too high, the heat cannot penetrate the bird uniformly. Turn the roasting pan at various intervals to further facilitate even roasting.



4. If you stuff the turkey with a good moist stuffing, the juice from the stuffing will penetrate the bird from the interior and help prevent drying.
5. For the first 20 minutes, I like to cook the bird at a really high heat (450 degrees).  This will allow the skin to brown on the outside and lock in the juices.
6. After 20 minutes reset the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and turn the turkey upside down so the breast is on the bottom and add 1/4 cup of low sodium chicken stock flavored with black pepper (this will act as a basting mechanism for the turkey. Since the breast cooks faster than the dark meat and needs less cooking, situating it on the bottom( breast side down) exposes it to less direct heat.
7. Do not truss the bird. The dark meat will cook faster unfettered and thus reduce the chance of the breast overcooking by the time the dark meat is done.
8. Don’t bother basting. The meat, covered by the skin, will not absorb the juices. Also by opening and closing your oven too many times you are losing valuable heat.
9. DO NOT go poking the turkey with a knife or fork to check for done ness.  You will lose valuable juice.  Some folks like to use the pop up meat thermometers which are fine when they work.  I like to use the leg check technique.  If the leg when you wiggle it is very easy to move and the skin breaks the bird is done.  You can also use the 20 minutes per pound rule for no stuffing and 25 minutes per pound for a stuffed bird.
10. The last step you need to remember is that once the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to sit 20 minutes. This is another step that will help keep the meat moist. If you carve the meat immediately, all the juices will run out and the meat will not be as moist as it could have been.

Well that sounds like a lot of tips and alot of writing for zesty.  I hope you like these tips and as I said earlier – they are just my practices and techniques.  I would love to hear all your turkey roasting techniques so readers can get some great ideas in preparation for the holidays.

Have a great Wednesday and a happy holiday.  Take Care!

zesty

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A couple of years ago I posted some kitchen saving tips that help me save time when time is of the essence. I thought I would be a good time this week to share those again as September is a very busy time for people getting back to the grind after summer vacation, kids are back in school and the weather ( depending on where you are) is starting to cool down.

Now most of these ideas are not rocket science or particularly complicated.  They are simply tips I have tried in the past and have adapted over time.  What I would like to see is people add to the tips in the comments and then I will create an even bigger list in the future.

So without further adieu…

Zesty’s Top 8 Time Saving Kitchen Tips

1.  Keep a clean Kitchen

The more stuff that piles up around you, the harder it is to concentrate on what happens next.  This results in making it harder to find anything you need, costing you more time and mental frustration than it would take to stay clean.

2.  Be-friend the Ice Cream Scoop

When using small pastry shells or individual graham cracker shells to make tarts, I use an ice cream scoop to fill them quickly. A heaping scoopful of pie filling is just the right amount I need for each one.

3.  Advanced Table Setting

Set the table for breakfast and prepare breakfast foods the night before. For pancakes, mix dry ingredients the previous night. In the morning, add wet ingredients and cook.

4.  Stock on Hand

Pressed for time?  Fill an ice cube tray with chicken, beef or vegetable stock.  You can even try tomato sauce and/or cream soups. Dump the frozen cubes into a freezer bag. Then grab a couple of cubes to add to your stir fry, pasta, veggies, or to whip up a quick sauce.

5.  Keep a running grocery list

This holds true to be very effective when it is grocery time both at home as well as in the grocery store.  This will eliminate not having crucial ingredients on hand for your next great recipe.

6.  Cook Once, Cook Big

Make large batches of granola and store in an airtight container; Cut up extra ingredients for another meal when using onions, green peppers, etc; Cook double batches of rice or pasta to be reheated later in the week.

7.  Beat the stick

Set your dirty pots on the stove with some vinegar and water or dish soap and water. Let them boil while you eat. By the time you finish dinner and get started on the dishes, the hot water solution will have loosened stuck-on food.

8.  Sort your dishes

Put like utensils in the same section of the silverware tray in the dishwasher (knives with knives, small forks with small forks, etc.) so that you can pull them out by group and put them away fast. You can also do the same for like sized plates and bowls.

So there you have it, some not so traditional time saving tips.  Before I leave you for another day, I really want everyone to make a effort to post a time saving tip in the comments.  I think it will be fun!

Have a great day and I will see you Friday.

Take care

zesty

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We made it!  Friday is finally here and the weekend is upon us.  This week has flown by and for that I thought I would switch things up slightly and ask for your help.  I really want to know if you have any good ideas on how to cure picky eating syndrome.  I would love to hear your ideas.

The last little while I have been trying to get zesty junior eating more – it seems like Kraft Dinner and peanut butter sandwiches are a staple in his diet.   I have been doing some searching and trying to come up with some of my own ideas.  Thus far, here is a list of what I have found as well as come up with.

10 Tips for Picky Eaters

1. Get them excited about healthy food:

Let them smell, touch, taste, ask questions and try fruits, veggies, yogurts along with other healthy foods in the kitchen. Ask them what they think of the foods and let them know their opinions count.

2. Get them involved in the kitchen:

Let them help you with jobs in the kitchen such as mixing ingredients, putting away plastic dishes, turning on the blender etc. Be sure to thank them for their help.

3. Give them a say in what they eat:

Help your kids make the right food and drink choices from an early age. If they have a say in decisions they will be more excited about what they eat. It’s a great way to get them to take charge of their health.

4. Take them grocery shopping with you:

Get your kids involved in shopping decisions. It may take a little more time in the supermarket but it will help them understand the food groups and the value of eating healthy.

5. Remove the junk food your house:

Your kids can’t eat unhealthy snacks if you don’t buy them. Kids will moan at first but soon they will get hungry and reach for the apple instead of the chips.

6. Add healthy food when you can:

Find ways to add healthy foods into foods your child already likes. You can put blueberries in pancakes, chopped fruit on cereal, or small pieces of broccoli in macaroni and cheese. Or add leftover veggies from the night before into your next meal.

7. Help them learn:

Encourage your kids to draw or doodle pictures of healthy foods or write a poem. Post it on the fridge and make sure they know you are proud.

8. Sit down together:

Try to set aside your meals as family time. Turn off the TV and enjoy eating together.

9. Keep healthy snacks on hand:

Bring healthy snacks where ever you go, and at other times when you know their stomachs will be grumbling.

10. Make healthy food and meals fun:

Try cutting up food into fun shapes or making faces out of fruit and vegetables.  Putting healthy snacks such as oatmeal cookies or dried fruit into a fun bag can turn healthy foods into a cool snack for your child.

Next time you are in the kitchen thinking about meal time or even simply talking to you children – try and incorporate some of the tips listed above.

Please send me your comments on fussy eater tips you have tried (even if you don’t have kids).  I want to try and get 50 tips by the end of tomorrow.  The pressure is on!

Oh and guess what?  Disney Recap on Monday and GIVEAWAY on Wednesday! Have a great weekend!

Take care

zesty

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Slow cooker meals are a great time saver for the busy body and also a great way to not have to do dishes.  Before you try any of our fix’-em and forget’-em  slow cooker meals, look over these helpful hints.

1. Prep the Night Before, and all you’ll have to do in the morning is toss your ingredients into the bowl and flip the switch.
2. Place root vegetables in the bottom of the slow-cooker bowl, then top with chicken and or meat pieces.  This way the vegetables will be covered by enough stock or sauce to keep them tender – and the meat will be insulated from over cooking.
3. The slow-cooker’s long-simmer method tends to dissipate the flavor of dried herbs so be sure to adjust the seasoning at the end of the cooking process.  If you have fresh herbs, you can also toss those in at the end.
4. Resist the urge to remove the lid off the cooker and stir the ingredients.  Especially in the initial stages of warming – the pot will lose a lot of valuable heat.
5. During long hours of cooking, milk, sour cream, cheese and heavy cream tend to break down and curdle.  For best results stir these ingredients just before serving.
6. Browning chicken or meat before slow-cooking is not necessary.  But if you have the time, caramelizing the meat will add a richer flavor.  I like to avoid using ground meat or poultry in the cooker as I find it turns to mush.
7. Never fill the bowl to the brim – if you do bubbling can occur and make a huge mess.  I like to leave at least 2 inches from the top.
8. If the recipe produces more sauce than you want, you can simply remove the meat or chicken from the bowl at the end of cooking time and set aside – covering with foil.  Turn the slow-cooker on to high and place the lid back on.  Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes and let the sauce reduce.
9. To make clean up easier, try the bowl liners that I mentioned about with the pulled pork recipe.  Just be careful to move all the food before lifting the liner.

Slow-cooker Recipes

• How To Prepare Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

• Apricot Pork Pasta with Feta

• Ice In Africa

• Melt In Your Mouth Slow Cooker Beef

• Crockpot Chicken Curry with Patak’s Sauce (all phases)

Be sure to give these tips a walk through and try some of the above recipes.  If you have any slow cooker recipes and would like to be featured on zesty, please email me and we will work together on sharing your recipe.  I hope you have a great Friday and a super weekend and just a reminder that I will be blogging from California next week but everything should stay on track.

Take care

zesty

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Help The Students Event: Day 14

A special guest post today that will enable you to make anything you ever wanted in a jar!  A very fun post – I hope you enjoy!  Thanks Heather.

Heather here from Heather Eats Almond Butter, or HEAB for short. When Zesty told me he was putting together some guest posts for fun, healthy and cost saving meal ideas for college students, I knew right away that I wanted to participate. Back when I was in college, healthy food was not a priority for me, but that’s only because I had no idea how simple and tasty it could be! Now that I’m a bit older and wiser, I try and eat as well as I can. However, like many people think, that does not require spending a ton of money on boring tasteless food. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal kitchen equipment, you can make some great meals…you simply have to get creative and think outside the box…or in my case, the jar.

As you’ve probably already figured out from the name of my blog, I love almond butter. Actually, I’ve never met a nut butter that I was not completely infatuated with, and you know what else I love about my nut butters? They come in reusable dishware. That’s right, see that peanut butter jar you have sitting in your dorm room? Did you know that it makes the best bowl ever???

For instance, you can make Oats In A Jar…

1/2 cup quick cooking oats made with water and served in a waning Naturally Nutty Vanilla Almond Butter jar with dark chocolate.

Simply cook some oatmeal or any hot cereal in the microwave and then after it’s cooled a bit, pour it into an almost empty nut butter jar along with your favorite toppings. The best part of Oats In A Jar is getting to all that ooey gooey warm nut butter waiting for you at the bottom. Trust me, you’ll never again be sad when that peanut butter is almost all gone.

Then, after cleaning your jar, you can reuse it as a bowl. How about heating up some soup or chili?

Almond Butter Chili in a nut butter jar bowl.

Or, another favorite snack/meal of mine is mashed sweet potato in a jar…

Sweet potato in the waning almond butter jar.

All you need is a microwave and a sweet potato. Heat and mash away, and in my opinion, this is the best way to get in your daily veggies!

There are so many possibilities when it comes to meals in a jar. You could fill them with yogurt and fruit, mashed winter squash, cooked grains, or perhaps even some ice-cream?

Again, be creative. Just because you’re living in a small room with little to no kitchen appliances doesn’t mean you have to live on bagels and ramen noodles. I hope this post inspires you to try something a bit different and that you enjoy your time at school. I also hope that a big jar of almond butter makes your next grocery list!

Full Shellfish Festival Recap

Stay tuned tomorrow for a full recap of the Judgment day as well as other sights.  I had a lot of fun and had some amazing bowls of chowder.  I will share some details tomorrow.  Let’s start another week with a smile.

Take care

zesty

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Hello to you!  I wanted to piggy back on yesterday’s grilled fish post and share with you some really simple tips to follow when grilling fish.  I have received a lot of emails regarding fish and the problems people are having with grilling it which is what inspired this post.

Fish is one of the easiest food items to grill in addition to being one of the healthiest. A good fish on the grill is dependent on how fresh the fish is, the type of fish, the bone structure and the fat content. However, grilling is one of the best ways to cook fish which usually results in a very flavorful, juicy fish. Grill and fish go hand in hand. They are like two Kleenex in a box. It is like fish is made for grilling or the grill is made for the fish. Nothing can be more compatible than these two.

Hopefully with these tips today your mind will be put at ease and you will be grilling tonight.

1. Get it Hot

Whether using gas, charcoal, electric or grill pans, there’s a secret to grilling fish: Get your grill as hot as you can make it. You want to sear the fish as soon as it hits the grate. This seals in the juices and immediately firms the flesh; it’s less likely to stick to the grate and it’s easier to flip.

2. Buy the right fish

When it comes to selecting fish, fresh fish should smell fresh, have firm flesh and a moist appearance. If the fish smells too fishy ask for something else. To keep fish fresh, make sure it is tightly wrapped and kept cold. Do not plan on keeping fresh fish more than a couple of days. If possible try to purchase fresh fish the same day you plan to cook it. If you can’t cook the fish within about 2 days, freeze it. Frozen fish should be frozen solid and also, tightly wrapped.

Generally you buy fish either whole, in fillets or steaks. Fillets will give you the most trouble because they tend to fall apart a little easier. Steaks and whole fish hold together better but take longer to grill. If you are grilling whole fish, stuff it with something like lemon slices. This not only adds to the flavor but creates a space between the sides to let the heat get in.

3. How long?

The basic rule is to cook fish 8 minutes per inch of thickness, or 10 minutes per inch if it’s a whole fish. Check it two minutes before you think it should be done, keeping in mind that everything keeps cooking for a few minutes after it leaves the grill. Fish is best when it just starts to flake off with a fork.

4.  Brush the grill with oil right before adding the fish.

Pick up a wad of paper towel with tongs, dip it in oil, and brush the preheated grill right before adding the fish. Forget cooking sprays. Oil works even better since it can be applied directly to the grill and not only to the fish.

5. Glaze only after a brief sear on both sides.

If you want to cover your fish with a glaze or a sauce, first grill it plain on very high heat for 2 minutes per side. Then turn down the heat to the lowest setting, brush with glaze and continue cooking on both sides until done.

So there you have some really quick and common sense tips to get you through the next time you grill some fish.  Now I have a job for you!  In the comments tell me your favorite fish and your favorite way to eat it (If of course you like it).  I am up in the air heading for Washington ready for a full week of meetings.  Have a great Tuesday and I will see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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It is Thursday already which means I now really have 2 days to cram in 6 days worth of work.  Oh dear – this is not going to be pretty.   I have been asked a few times whether it be family and friends or even readers about what to look for when buying fresh meat.  Because I watch a lot of the food network and read a fair amount of reading material on food  – I think I can answer these questions.

For all my vegetarian readers… sorry!  I just want to take a few minutes of your time and hopefully shed some light on this topic.  Whether it be for grilling, roasting, poaching, frying or braising these tips are very important.

Are you purchasing the freshest meat and/or meat products from your local grocer? You certainly may think so, however, this may not be the case. There are some questionable practices meat department personnel may apply that you are unaware of. Meat and meat products are expensive and perishable. A no sale for the butcher becomes an unwelcome loss.  As a consumer, there are certain measures you can undertake to assure yourself a fresher, higher quality product.

1. Choose Wisely

• When a meat item is on sale, take advantage of the cost. This is perhaps the best time to buy a fresh product. The demand will be greater; hence, there is less likelihood of it sitting on the shelf too long. If the package isn’t labeled “Choice”, the cut is most certainly “Select”. This type of meat is lower in quality and taste. Always find out which kind of meat is used before you make your selection. “Select” meats are good candidates for sale items: cheaper for the butcher to purchase, with a higher mark-up price. The consumer pays less and the grocer makes a higher profit. However, the quality is undeniably compromised. Your taste buds will be the final test!

2. Color Can Help

• When choosing fresh meat, color is always a good indicator. Beef will have a bright red color, pork will look pinkish and the skin on poultry should be white or pale yellow. Marbling gives the meat flavor, so look for thin white streaks for a juicier and more tender cut of beef.

3. Go Lean

• A lot of supermarkets offer boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, which are extra lean and full of flavor. The majority of pork cuts are lean, and most retailers offer fresh  extra-lean ground beef that’s produced on a daily basis.  More and more shoppers are opting for pork tenderloin, which is a better-for-you alternative protein that is low
  in fat and a source of iron and vitamin B12.

4. Do the Smell Test

• Another quality identification is smell.  The product should have a normal smell.   This will be different for each of the species (i.e. beef, pork, chicken), but should vary only slightly within the specie.  Any rancid or strange smelling meat should be avoided.

So that are my four tips I use when buying meat.  I hope the next time you are shopping for your family you keep these in mind if you didn’t already know.  It is not rocket science but if you are not used to buying meat on a regular basis, the choices can be over whelming.

Site Update

I finally added a place where you can visually see to buy yourself some new zesty gear.  I encourage everyone to head over there and purchase something as all the profits are going directly to the food bank.  A great cause!

Around the Blogsphere

Angela at Ohsheglows is having a great giveaway forAlign Digestive Care Probiotic Supplement contest.  She is giving away two 30-day boxes.  So if you have not entered please head over here now and do so.

I am heading off to do some more packing yet again so I hope you have a great Thursday and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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I am a big fan of salads but I tend not to eat them enough!  With that being said, I am here enlisting some of my favorite tips for making a great salad.  Some people say that a great salad is all in the dressing – well I am not sure I buy that statement.

I am a big advocate that fresh ingredients will deliver top notch results.  Salads are meant to be simple, yet flavorful and can be created without any stress or time constraints.

Salad Tips

1.  Add Dark Greens to the Mix.

Romaine, arugula or spinach will add a whole host of vitamins and nutrients to your salad, including vitamin A, vitamin C and folate.

2.  Watch the Dressing.

Control exactly how much dressing goes into your salad by referring to the serving suggestion on the label. It’s also a good idea to keep the dressing on the side so you can add a little at a time without overdoing it.

3.  Include Fruit in Green Salads.

Fruit like orange sections, cubed mango or dried, unsweetened cranberries will add not only more flavor and color but also vitamins and antioxidants.

4.  Pack in the Protein.

When eating a salad as your main meal, make sure it provides at least 10 to 15 grams of protein per serving. To meet this requirement, add 3/4 cup of chickpeas or
lentils, two hard boiled eggs or 1/4 cup of nuts.

5.  Dress Simple and Late.

Salad dressings do not have to be anything complex.  A simple dash of olive oil, vinegar and some grainy mustard makes for a great dressing.  Another tip I noted from Michael Smith is to dress the salad just before serving.  He often puts the dressing in the bottom of the bowl and tosses once you are ready to eat.

So next time you make a salad let me know what you think of the salad tips.  I listed a few salads I made in the past so be sure to check them out.  I like to keep it simple so you will not see anything extravagant.

Other Zesty Salads

Fresh Crisp Salad with Feta

Pesto Salad

Asparagus Bacon Salad

Summer Chicken Salad in the Winter

I hope you have a great Thursday.  House plans are moving along quite well and we should have the new plans finalized soon.  We are moving forward with lot preparation and than the breaking of the ground.  I will keep you posted.

I am heading on the road for a week in the first week in June.  With that said – I am making a call out for guest posts!  Let me know if you are interested by contacting me.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Tuesday!  Well I had a fun Monday… not!  So I show up to work with huge plans to get some work done.  I am working away attacking my to do list and all of a sudden at 9:00am… the power goes out.  Oh dear, what can I do?  No internet, my cell phone battery is dying, and my laptop battery is on it’s last bar.  It was not shaping up to be a good day.

Anyway, I hear there is a fire at the main power sub station so we are in for the long haul.  I putter around the office for a while trying to pretend that I have work to do but really I don’t.   So after a couple of hours at the office I make my way home in hopes that the power is on there.  The good news is “the power was on” bad news is “I have a tonne of work to do”.  Off to work I went.

The weather has been nice lately and it seems like it may be a barbecue week.  I thought I would show you my barbecue and how I prepare my barbecue for the season.  Most winters I store the bbq in the garage but due to laziness I left it covered on the deck this year.  So with that said… I had to determine a good way to clean the barbecue and get it ready for grilling.  Below are some of the steps I do to ensure the grill is good to go.

When it comes time to prepare for the summer season, it’s time to start thinking about the cleaning the barbecue grill.

That is the time to do a few routine checks and preparations which will keep your barbecue operating safely for the season.

BBQ Cleaning Tips

• Cleaning the inside of your barbecue – The first step to annual barbecue maintenance is cleaning. It has to be done!  The secret to cleaning your barbecue is to do it every time you use it.  However, don’t go over the top as a coat of natural food oils on the cast iron parts protects them from rust. Eventually though,  the oils, fats and burnt-on food will build up excessively and need to be removed.  Warm barbecues are easier to clean than cold ones, so start it up for a short time and then use a wire brush to remove any particles from last season.





• The outer casing – If your barbecue has a stainless-steel outer casing and trolley, then all it will need is a simple cleaning. Harsh cleaners and abrasives shouldn’t be used on stainless-steel as they will scratch it.  Soapy water and vinegar mix is all that is needed. I have also used a stainless steel cleaning powder (mixed with water) that has worked wonders.  After cleaning the outer casing, it can be buffed with cleaning oil, or even a little baby oil.   The oil will remove watermarks, fingerprints and will also make it easier to clean next time.





• Control the rust – If your grills and burners are cast iron, they may have corroded over winter. Scrape off any flaked rust and then give the surface a good scour with a wire brush.  Wash all the parts and then spray with cooking oil before they rust up again.
• Keep it working – Gas taps can become stiff over winter (depending on where you live), causing plastic controls to break. Remove the plastic knobs and spray the mechanisms with a lubricant like WD-40 to free them up. Apply a drop of  oil to each tap and then cover them with Vaseline to keep the oil in.

• Easier to clean – Before you fire up the grill, spray it with nonstick cooking spray or wipe it with vegetable oil to make cleanup easier.  If a grill is still warm, not hot, rub a balled-up piece of aluminum foil against it to remove any debris, just like you would a stiff brush.

Zesty Tip: Cut down on the mess in your charcoal grill by lining the bottom with aluminum foil. When it becomes stained with grease residue or worn out, simply throw it away and replace it with new. When using aluminum foil in cooking, note that it has a shiny side and a dull side. The shiny side is heat-reflective, while the dull side absorbs heat more readily. If you’re baking a potato, wrap it shiny-side-out for slower cooking, or dull-side-out for faster cooking.

Busy Tuesday ahead!  I hope you have a great day and let me know of anything you would like blogged about or maybe your favorite recipe tried by zesty.  I would love to hear from you.

Take care

zesty

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We made it!  Friday is upon us and ummm.. lets just say it has been somewhat of a crazy week.  So crazy that I have something to confess to you.  This week has thrown some curve balls that I was not ready for.  As a result, the breakfast for 50 had to be outsourced to my favorite bakery.  I know I am somewhat disappointed but some things are out of my control.  The selection from the bakery was a combination of all homemade baked goods both sweet and savory.  I also used a lot of your suggestions when choosing the platters.

What I thought would be fun today is to go over the difference between a herb and a spice and some storage tips.  Let me know what you think.

What is a herb and what is a spice?

Anything with a leaf and a mild flavor that’s grown in a temperate climate is an herb. Everything else (including seeds, bark, berries and underground roots and shoots) that has a stronger flavor and grows in tropical climates is considered a spice.

HERBS

Storing Herbs
Store dried herbs in small glass jars with airtight seals or screw tops in a cool, dark cupboard away from the heat of the stove.

Store fresh herbs in the refrigerator. Don’t wash them until you’re ready to use them because they quickly go bad. If herbs are wet, shake off excess moisture, then wrap in paper towels or keep at room temperature until the leaves dry.

To dry fresh herbs for longer storage, several methods can be used:  (I never do this as I just buy them already dried or fresh but I have seen this done and seems to work effectively)

• Air – Remove all soil and roots, then wash and gently dry. Hang in bunches upside down in a paper bag with air holes in a well-ventilated area.

• Microwave – This is the best way to preserve an herb’s colour. Spread between layers of paper towel and heat on high (100%) for about 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds and removing herbs as they dry. Leave on counter to cool and dry completely before storing.

• Oven – Spread herbs in a thin layer on baking sheet with sides. Bake at lowest heat in oven, without stirring, until leaves are dry and crispy. Do not over dry.

Freezing Fresh Herbs
For this I like to just wash and chop the herbs and place into plastic ice cube trays. Fill trays with water and freeze. Remove cubes and store in freezer bags for up to 6 months. Drop a cube, as needed, into your latest culinary concoction.

SPICES

Storing Spices
Keep freshly ground spices chilled rather than storing them at room temperature. To keep them fresh longer, grind and make them into a paste by adding just a bit of olive oil. Store in small sealed containers or freeze for up to 6 months.

Keep ground spices in small glass jars with airtight seals in a cool, dark cupboard.

I think the biggest thing with spices as we take for granted that they do expire and lose their pungency and flavor.  A rule of thumb for me is rotate your spices at least every six months to ensure quality and freshness.  I apply the same rule usually for dried herbs as well.

That was kind of fun…

I hope you have a great weekend – I am somewhat excited as it is supposed to be sunny and somewhat warm here this weekend.  Outside and fresh air here I come!  Talk to you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty