Organic spices are used for everyday baking and cooking. Cookies, breads, pastries, and fruit desserts will all benefit from the addition of organic spices. Organic spices will enhance a variety of cooked dishes, including meats, soups, vegetables, rice, and pasta. They can also be added to salads and marinades.
Fresh organic spices retain their essential oils. Essential oils are the substances responsible for creating the unique flavors inherent in organic spices. When organic spices are dried, the flavor from the essential oils and other components becomes concentrated. This makes dried organic spices potent flavorings for food.
Freshly ground organic spices provide the most powerful flavoring. Do not crush or grind your dried organic spices until you are ready to use them. After grinding, their inherent aromatics can deteriorate rapidly; organic spices will be most flavorful immediately after grinding. Organic spices can be ground using a grinder, pepper mill, or mortar and pestle.
Organic spices are used for flavoring food, but they can also be used in a variety of other ways. Some organic spices have medicinal properties. Some organic spices are used in cosmetics, fragrances, and personal care products. Other organic spices are used for religious purposes.
Organic spices are superior to their non-organic counterparts because they are healthier and more sustainable. Organic spices are grown without the use of harmful synthetic chemicals, which can cause damage to human health and the environment.
The essential oils produced by herbs and spices can act as natural insect repellants. Farmers using conventional methods may not always spray their spices with pesticides, but they will typically use fungicides to protect plants against fungi, mold and mildew. It is also possible that pesticides and herbicides from other crops may contaminate conventionally farmed spices. When you buy certified organic spices, you have assurance that you are not buying spices that are contaminated by any of these harmful chemicals. You can also be satisfied that you are making an environmentally responsible choice.
Avoid buying spices at the grocery store. Grocery stores rarely have the best possible prices for spices. You may also have difficulty finding certified organic spices at the grocery store. Organic spices can be obtained through internet sources, health food stores, farmer’s markets, or community supported agriculture (CSA) programs.
Store organic spices in a moisture-free environment. If you plan to store organic spices long-term, vacuum sealing is recommended. Label the vacuum-sealed package with the contents and date. Vacuum sealing a package of organic spices can extend the expected shelf life of the spices. You can prolong the shelf life even more if you are able to refrigerate the vacuum-sealed package.
