.47 EXPLORING THE SEASONING SHELF -awrimMEIrrirrrorraumirrimmormill11111111111/0 ( AAAW4AAit,AA !XPkORNG THEto Extension Bulletin 801 December 1961 Cooperative Extension Service Oregon State University Corvallis 1466666566(0350 Contents Page Exploring the Seasoning Shelf 3 Spices become popular 4 Why thc new interest? 4 Popular herb 4 lilt, Even cookbooks change 4 Learning About Seasonings 5 Where Do Our Seasonings Come From?....6 ........ How to Use Seasonings - 7 Creating From Packages 8 Salt Trying New Flavor Treats 8 ...gra. Flavor Treats From Soup, to Nuts 12 Appetizers and dips 12 Soups 13 Meat dishes 15 Cookies 18 General topping: 19 This bulletin was prepared -by. Ruth N. Klippz stein,- formerly Extension Nutrition Specialist, Oregoii State University. Art work by Robert Hostiek. - Exploring die Seasoning Shelf To be really fun cooking must be creative. ?he busy homemaker is often cartoonedas :ueen of the canopener and guardian of the tome freezer. Every dinner is pictured as corn- ng from a prepared, box or the "ready cociked" ection of the corner grocery. Is creativity eally dead? All the signs say, "No." More ookbooks are sold than ever before. Theuse tf .stitices and herbs has skyrocketed. However, to product can achieve success without recipes or its use. It is still ap honor ba,he considered the best ook in the neighborhood. And recipe trading 5 a compliment tofood that is deliciously tifferent. Convenience foods are new to the average komemaker. Using them skillfully. is a learned ire, not a born talent. Keeping up with new tems requires imagination and careful selection vith your family's preference in mind. But each tornemaker can find some flavor aids that, .Ivill ave time, increase tthe family's enjoyment, pf their food, and make choking three mealsa day a pleasure. \s4 \\N\ N'''.% \ ,IMI Ul 1W IG- \--._ \woo..., ,, , .EIXICIXErriMaJ\ 3 Spices become popular Back in 1944 there were 11 spices carried by most grocery storesblack pepper, cinnamon nutmeg, paprika, cloves, allspice, and ginger were the most important ones. Today the aver- age store stocks at least 35 different spices and Seasonings. And this does not count the many blends, Sauces, and dip bases. It is no surprise that a survey made in 1959 showed that pack- aged spices and `spice-containing sauces'headed the list a fast moving grocery items. .1111k-. Why the new interest? Extensive travel during and following World War II inttoduced many people to the delights of -foreign cookery. Outdoor cookery, due to its simplicity,. puts a premium on good flavor- ing. The current popularity of Chinese and Italian cooking has introduced new spices and sauces to us. Today soya sauce and oregano are as much at home on the American seasoning shelf as mustard ocatsup. Popular herb Oregano (ore-egg-an-o) is the best example of the tremendous growth of a particular sea- soning. Oregano is an herb rarely seen 15 years ago. Trade sources say there has been a3,000% increase in the use of oregano in the past 10 years. This herb is an essential ingredientof the Italian pizzaand the pizza parlor is firmly established as one of the popular eating spots of America. Even cookbooks change * A search of old cookbooks shows- that the use of spices runs in cycles. In the early 1900's the Fannie Farmer Cookbook showed recipes using spices in 50% of the baked foods, By 1930 the amount had dwindled to 4. mere 5%. Today's edition shows a real gain in the total number of recipes using seasonings. 4 Learning About Seasonings - Every cook needs to know something about the agents she (or he) uses to season floods. Spices are parts of aromatic plants grown in the tropics. A partial list includes cinnamon, pepper, cloves, paprika, mustard, ginger, all- spice; turmeric, and saffron. Herbs are the leaves of aromatic plants grown in a temperate zone. Some popular herbs are chives, parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, dill, marjorum, and rosemary. Seeds are the fruit or seeds of any herb plant. The most popular are anise, caraway, celery,coriander, poppy, sesame, cardamon, cumin, mustard, and dill. Salts may be dried garlic, onion, or celery finely ground and blended with pure dairy salt. Newer uses of salt to carry flavors are charcoal- and smoke-flavored salts. Blends are big news in the spice trade. Master chefs have used a pinch of this and a bit of that to season foods for centuries. Now their skill has gone into putting just the right amounts of flavor inkredie? into a blend for a specific purpose. The pro ucts available vary EE with the particular companies selling them. The ingredients featured and the proportions, of course, are different. Each cook will want to evaluate which seasoning blend she prefers for her family. Blends may be made in two ways : 1)By simply mixing together two or more ingredients. #y. actually crushing together the in- . gredients so that the resulting product is homogenous in appearance and every particle produces exactly the same flavor. Foil lined packages capture the imagination of every cook. From the single dry soup mix of iUst a few' years ago has grown a thriving business of "taste in a sack." Many cooking sauces are packaged in dry form ready for quick 5 hydration. Spaghetti sauce is availablein a matter of minutes. Today we add thetomatoes: Tomorrow the tomato will be added to themix. Salads take the spotlight in *demcooking. And the salad dressings shares th&creditfor their 'popularity. Dry .mixes havewadded fun to salad making. A p4ckage of,mix added to oil or sour cream, a quick stir orshake, and prestoa new flavor treat.Be sure to fry6all thedifferentflavorsItalian,French,blue ciiee§e, onionyou name it, and some company can supply it for you. - Where Do Our Seasonings Come From? The hub of the mike import business is New York 'City. The spice cargo, Usually in whole fore,isinspected upon arrivalin America Thr purity and wholesomeness by the Pure Food and- Drug Administration. After passing inspection, spices are stored in ware- houses until sold to grinding companies located throughout the United States. These companies clean, sterilize, and process the raw. materials according to the particular product desired. Different_grinds are popular in different areas for different prod,O'cts. Screens of varying degrees of fineness: karate the particles into just the right size. Spices are dip packaged in glass or tin. The size may run from a single 'ounce to 200 potmds.About 40% of the spice sold is used for manufactured products. Met processors, likeries, and pickle makers are among the bigg users. Most grinding companies have recently ex- panded to market sauce, dip, and salad dressing mixes. They also feature special gourmet lines made up of less familiar seasonings for the imaginative cook. How to U9e Seasonings If you are tired of thesame old foods, there is no time like the present tostart planning a dinner around one of thenew flavor treats. Here are some general suggestionsto give' you the confidence to start. From thenon you are on your own, for in seasoningfoods, there are no fast rules. Creativity is the watchword and' your family's praise is the reward. It.4. Remember lo use spices and .zeasonings with a light touch. Be conservative.tartwith just a pinch or teaspoon and increase. You shluld know that something bas beenadded, but noT What. If a flavor shoutsat you, you have used too much! Use fresh spices and seasonings. A painter cannot create with dried up oils andyou can- not achieve bright flavors withworn out spices. Flavors are due to the aromatic oils ofa plant. Once these oils are lost in standing, thespice or seasoning is worthless. Protect the oils by keeping the jars or tins tightly,. closedand stored in a cool area. Besure they are kept dry. When you can no longer detectaroma, discard the spice. Buy smap containers ofspices and replace more frequently. SPECIAL Learn that two flavorsare often better than one. Try mixing a spice anda liquid flavor- ing. Lemon and vanillago well together. Or use a nutmeg and cinnamon combination. Only half amounts naturally. Introduce only one flavor ata time. Most people prefer the familiar whenit comes to choosing food. Do not ove`rwhelm thepalate with too many new flavoionce. Anew salad dressing is enough for eal. It would be unwise to press your luck by trying -theherb Itieatloaf recipeand the dill flavored beansat the same time. 7 Study recipes for the best "go-togethers." Some flavor combinations are particularly pleas- inglamb with mint or orange ;tomato and thyme; pork and ginger. Find out which ones yoleamity enjoys. Creating From Packages The trend toward convenience foods has invaded the spice and seasoning shelf. No longer must we cook chili all afternoona package, a can or two some ;neat and waterpresto, a family meal Within minutes. Spaghetti sauce is another time saver. And so are the barbecue sauces and punish rice mixes available. Most of the major spice companies market one or more seasoning mixes. Each package comes with easy to follow directions for use. Those who like mildly flavored foods may find that using half a package instead of the full amount suits their taste better. Others may want to add more 'flavor for additional accents of fad pepper, chili powder, or other favorite seasonings. Creative cooks like the convenient of having the long cooking done. They use full package or halves, or add other ingredients. Theyhave the fun of creative cooking without all of the work. rTryitig New Flavor Treats' The growth of interest in the spice shel has outstripped the recipe printer's speed. So a virgin field exists for those who like to experi- ment.