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We have answered so many questions over the years that the list below has grown quite long.  Now you can browse the Q&A by the category or subject that interests you the most today.

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 Questions and Answers: Click to add new question
Do you know of any grocers or specialty stores that carry Lawry's beef stew seasoning in the St. Louis area? Thanks for any help you can provide. CT
I can't point you to any particular place. If you have checked all your major supermarkets and superstores and don't find it, you can order all of their products from the Lawry's website.
 
We grew jalapenos and chili peppers this year for the first time. I read on your site an easy way to freeze them for storage. But what I would like to know is how long we can just keep them in the frig before freezing them?
You could probably keep them in a plastic bag for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. If you intend to freeze them, however, it would be better to do it right away for higher quality.
 
Hi. I like your website. I have 3 cans of Red Roasted Peppers. I bought them in 2007. Could I still eat them? TZ
They are getting rather old. If they don't have an expiration date on the can, you could call the company to see how long they should last.
 
Hello I just found your site today. I was wondering if you ever heard of this as I am trying to find out if this is true. If you place some spearmint leaves or gum in with your flour or rice then you won't get bugs in these items. Please let me know what you think. Thanks CT
I hadn't heard of the mint gum idea but I know that mint is a natural pest repellent. I've heard of using bay leaves for the same reason and have been known to put them in with the seasonal clothing that I put in storage to keep away moths.
 
I am looking for the Schilling Salt 'n Spice mixture. Is it still available? PJM
Looks like McCormick recently discontinued this product but they do offer a recipe that will help you duplicate the flavors. Here is a link to the Salt 'n Spice Blend recipe.
 
Hello, I am in Norwich, UK. Today, I came home to find that my husband had decided to trim the bayleaf tree outside our door. It was blocking the front window and about to block the satellite dish. Unfortunately, he has never had a garden of any kind at all, and did not check beforehand how much pruning was wise to do. It was about 11 feet high with a trunk about 6 inches thick. It is now two feet shorter, but the worst is that he has nearly cut it back to sticks. I stopped him before he got to the very last part of it so there are a few, a very few, leafy branches left. From a little initial research, it seems he may well have put the tree in serious danger of survival. Is there anything at all we can do to try to save it? DC
You might want to check with a certified arborist but I have a feeling the tree will be okay. It sounds like it was well established so just keep an eye on it, water it a bit if your conditions are dry for long periods and see what happens.
 
Hi there, I live in Toronto and I love this sauce they make at subway sub I would love to make it myself. I am looking where they sell chipotle chili in adobo in Toronto, Canada. Anyone help me please I have looked in Food Basics, Metro(doniminion), Price Choppers. Can't seem to find it. HELP? LS
I did a Google search for Mexican grocery in Toronto and came up with many possibilities. You might try that to see which one is closest to your home.
 
I have several salad dressing recipes that call for dried spices. My granddaughter has food allergies and I wonder if there are substitutions that can be used for thyme, basil, marjoram and rosemary. PJ
It's difficult to suggest a substitution since you don't say what it is about these particular herbs that she is allergic. Your best bet would be to talk to an allergist.
 
I have a recipe for Veal and Rosemary that calls for dried rosemary to be crushed by hand and added liberally to the veal and then dry roasted for a certain amount of time. Then wine and a broth mixture are added to and the roasting of the veal continues. I have an abundance of fresh rosemary in my garden and was wondering if the fresh will work as well as the dried or will the flavor be altered somewhat? Thank you. DS
In my humble opinion, fresh rosemary would only make this dish more delicious.
 
Can I freeze fresh home grown sage leaves? M
In theory, you could freeze the whole leaves in a single layer on a sheet pan and then pack them into bags for storage. I haven't done this and I suspect the texture would suffer, therefore, freezing sage just doesn't appeal to me. Sage dries well. See the article "Look What I Made: An Herb Drying Rack."
 
Hi there….My recipe for Italian Tuna Casserole calls for: 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg: This is so expensive, so I don't want to buy a whole bottle for this one recipe. I do have nutmeg spice already on hand. What is the equivalent measurement for this? Pecorino Romano: I have grated Romano on hand already. Is there something special about 'pecorino' romano - or will just plain 'romano' suffice. Thank you so much for your help. MKJ
The measurement for the nutmeg would be the same although you might want to use a bit more of the pre-ground spice since it won't have as much flavor. Authentic pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk. If you live in the States, your pre-grated Romano is probably from cow's milk.
 
How long does olive oil stay good for at room temperature? DF
Shelf life will vary by product and storage conditions. Kept at a cool room temperature, in the dark and tightly capped, an open bottle should last 12 months or so. The sniff test is always a good measure, when oil goes bad, you'll know it.
 
I grew a pimento plant for the first time. The pimentos turned out beautiful, very deep red. What I was hoping for was a way to make pimento cheese using my own pimentos instead of from a store-bought jar. I tried slicing one and placing it in a jar with some water, vinegar, and a dash of lemon juice. I set it in the refrigerator for a week. But the results were still very hard, crunchy bites, and didn't taste like pimentos. Can you point me to a recipe to create my own jarred sliced pimentos
for use with sandwiches and dips? Thank you very much. KS
Congratulations on your success! You will probably enjoy your pimentos more if you roast them. Roasted chiles only last about five days in the refrigerator, however, so you may want to look into canning them. I couldn't find a good source to refer you. If your pimento cheese doesn't use mayonnaise, you could make a big batch of that for the freezer.
 
Short and simple question: If I roast a bunch of garlic, can I freeze it in airtight containers to be thawed and used later? If yes, how long can it stay frozen? Thanks! F
You could certainly freeze roasted garlic. You would probably want to use it up in 9 months to a year for the best quality.
 
Good morning, I am trying to determine how large (width and depth) of a hole I should dig to give my 2 yr old potted rosemary bushes roots plenty of room to grow in the future when planted in our landscape. In what direction does the root system of a rosemary bush grow in nature? Down? Straight out (horizontal)? All over? Do the roots extend past the outer-most branches? And in what proportion is the root system to the plant above the ground? Right now the plants are about 18-24” tall and ~ 18” across planted in 8 gal pots. I live in zone 8b (Austin, TX) with hard clay soil so I know I need to break up the soil really well, amend with compost and provide good drainage. Just want to know which direction should I should focus my digging? Down or out? DM
I would go both ways digging a hole that is about twice as wide and deep as the pot that the rosemary is currently in.
 
I have a recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger. Can I substitute ground ginger, and second, I have ginger juice, can that be used instead. The recipe if for a paste used with sirloin skewers. Thank you. SS
Ground ginger is generally not a good substitute for fresh ginger. Since you are preparing a sort of a marinade, the ginger juice would probably work well in equal amounts.
 
Can horseradish leaves be substituted for alum, and if so, how? C
Sometimes the things I learn from this Q&A business amaze me. I thought your question was a little crazy. Turns out quite a few people use horseradish or grape leaves to keep pickles crisp. Does it work? I do not know. I recommend you seek out someone who is a canning specialist, perhaps at your county extension office, to find out how to use them.
 
My rosemary has scale. Can I spray it with an oil spray before bringing it in for the winter? I don’t need to use it for cooking until I get rid of the scale anyway so the oil will not be a problem in that respect. Thank you so much! AW
I can't think of any reason why you couldn't spray the plant. Just make sure you are using the proper spray for the pest you have and that it is safe for food plants.
 
Hi Sandra, I read your article about tahini butter and have a couple of questions. You mentioned that tahini tastes different than sesame butter, and that sesame butter is heavier in taste and texture. Have you tried raw tahini? Does it taste very different than the roasted? Also, I normally use sesame butter and I enjoy the taste. Never thought I could make ice cream with it. Can I still make the ice cream with sesame butter? JG
These days the terms tahini and sesame butter seem interchangeable. I've noticed some tahini is quite thick while others are thin, depending on the brand. If you prefer the taste of the raw sesame butter I'm sure you would enjoy it in the ice cream as well.
 
HI, Do you now approximately how many cups of chopped dill I would get from one head of dill? Also, I have bought frozen dill cubes - they are little cubes individually packed in a sleeve that holds 20 cubes. Each cubes equals one teaspoon of chopped fresh dill. I am trying to figure out how many of these cubes I would need for 1/2 head of fresh dill, chopped. Thanks, CC
There is an important distinction to be made here: A dill head contains dill seeds, not dill weed. You would want about 2 teaspoons of dill seeds to equal a head of dill. Dill weed is far less potent than the seed so you may not want to interchange them. And who knew you could buy frozen dill cubes!?
 
Hi. I purchased a couple sweet basil plants and a Thai basil in the spring of this year. It was going well, but noticed half way through the summer, the stems began getting woody and the plant now produces few leaves and has also begun to flower. I learned from reading your website that this means it is nearing the end of it's growth cycle. My question is: Can I do anything to create a new plant at this point? We have a warm fall here in Charleston. I'd love to have fresh basil through the fall. If I need to wait till next Spring, what do I do to the plants in the meantime? LG
As you probably read, you can snip those flowers to extend the life of the plant. To make a new plant, you could take a cutting to root in water from one of the stems that isn't flowering. I haven't actually done this before but it seems like a good idea. I think I'll do it too and see if I can have an indoor basil plant this winter.
 
Hello. I have basil plants that have been doing well, but now the leaves are looking yellowish. The texture on the underside of the yellowish leaves is different, a little grainy. Is this more likely a pest or a lack of nutrients? What are your suggestions for how to help the plants? Thank you! JC
Without seeing the plant it is difficult to say. If you suspect a lack of nutrients, however, you might try a dose of fertilizer.
 
I was wondering, how do I keep my jalapeno peppers firm after canning or pickling them? They seem too soft textured when we open the jars to eat them. Any ideas? Thank you. SM
You might want to look into using food grade lime. The University of Georgia came up with a recipe that is supposed to keep pickled jalapenos crisp. Find it here.
 
I've grown Jalapeno, Cayenne & Habanero peppers during the summer and wish to freeze then for winter use. Can they be frozen whole and if so, how may they be thawed to use as if they were fresh-picked in season? For example, stuffed Jalapenos. Thanks, CH
You can freeze peppers but the texture will be rather mushy upon thawing so they will be more suitable for adding to cooked dishes rather than a preparation like stuffed peppers. I think it would be easier to stem and seed them before freezing because of this texture issue.

Hi there, Please Help....... I live in JHB, South Africa and recently returned from Australia where I purchased a bottle of the McCormick's Season All Peppered spice. Do you know if it is available in South Africa and if so, where can I purchase it? Thank you! JB
Looks like there is a McCormick South Africa (Pty) Ltd. but it also looks like it may sell only to the food industry. You might want to contact them. Address: 317, 16th Road, Halfway House, Midrand, South Africa. Mailing Address: Private Bag X64, Halfway House 1685, Gauteng, South Africa. Telephone: +27-11-690 0300.

Dear 'A Pinch Of...', I have a bush of basil (a number of plants growing near each other). I've noticed that the older leaves are slightly yellow, with brown patches on them. The patches are fairly large (>3mm in 'diameter), irregular in shape (circular or rectangular usually) and some of the leaves are brown at the edges. The brown spots/edges do not always occur on the same leaf - one may have spots, another leaf may have edges or both. These afflicted leaves are found on every plant. I fertilize every few weeks with liquid fertilizer. The new leaves are a nice healthy green and the plant seems to be growing quite happily. I grow rosemary in another pot in the same conditions (I do leave it out overnight) and it looks amazing. Do you have any suggestions as to what the browning may be? Regards, MN P.S. Love your site. The Q&A was an amazing source of information.
The situation you describe could indicate a nitrogen deficiency and/or overwatering. Check the fertilizer to see if it is a source of nitrogen and pay special attention to water needs rather than just watering on a regular schedule.

Hi, I live in Brooklyn and had a wonderful big Basil plant until about a week ago when I noticed quarters of the leaves were yellowing a bit and underneath that yellowing is sort of a dark grey fuzz. It looks like eggs of some sort. It has been getting progressively worse too, but nothing is being eaten. Then today I just noticed that on one stalk of the plant there are bunch of very angular black bugs/beetles crawling around, but mostly hanging out in groups on the stalks and leaves. I cant tell if they are eating the grey stuff or if they are the culprits. I have looked on google for any leads on these bugs but haven't found a lead. Any idea what's happening? Thanks SB
Have you looked into aphids? They are much like you describe and they excrete "honeydew" that encourages growth of sooty mold.
 

Hi - basil plant doing very well. August is the month the plant is supposed to go into white flowering seed stage. Now what do I do with the white flowers? How long should I wait until they are some other color as one of your articles mentioned, brown or black or what ever. I would like to save some seeds and try another batch in the spring. Home is in Anaheim California. Thank you FW
If you want to save seeds you should let the flowers remain on the plant until they fade, then snip them and let them dry completely on a sheet of paper or in a paper bag to catch the seeds.
 
When I harvested my basil plants this week I discovered that slugs had eaten holes in almost every leaf. (I checked the plants at night and, sure enough, there were slugs.) My question is: If a plant has been infected with slugs, are the leaves still edible? I have read in your other posts that slugs leave a slimy trail, so I am thinking we shouldn't use the leaves. What do you think? PG
The leaves should be just fine after a good washing in cool water.
 
I make a beer mustard with Coleman's that requires about 10 mins. of gentle cooking. Occasionally this mustard comes out terribly bitter. And I don't mean bitter like mustard and vinegar can be. I mean lip-puckering bad bitter, unpalatable. The recipe calls for the beer in the recipe to be left out for several hours before cooking. Presumably for the carbonation to leave. Could this carbonation be a source of bitterness? How fine is the line that separates adequate heat for thickening and corrupting heat? Could the bitterness be from cooking the turmeric in the recipe? I have read a good deal about the chemistry and studied numerous recipes. Is there a better way to thicken the product than cooking the mustard flour and are the thickening principles similar to those of other flours? Please help, I'm stumped. WS
 It could be that you are using water that is too hot to create the initial action that causes the hot taste of mustard. According to an interesting article on the subject at DiWineTaste.com the first phase in the preparation of mustard is to activate the enzymes. These enzymes may be destroyed by hot water and becomes quite bitter.
 
After reading through the Q & A’s, I believe my basil ‘problem’ is caterpillars – can you tell me what to do to get rid of them? Thanks! JMF
The most natural way to get rid of caterpillars is to handpick them when you see them. If you want to use something stronger, like BTK or another pesticide, you will need to identify what sort of caterpillar you have so you know what to use. Do keep in mind that butterflies are caterpillars first so you might want to share your basil with them.
 
Good Day! I have a recipe that calls for l/2 bunch of fresh dill. What is the measurement in teaspoons/tablespoons/cup that is equivalent to l/2 bunch of fresh dill? I am unable to find a "bunch" of fresh dill in the produce department of the stores, but do find the small plastic containers (about 4"x6" size) of organic fresh dill. They do not indicate the measurement size with regard to a "bunch" of fresh dill in those plastic containers. SH
I would consider the container that you describe to be a bunch. Generally, a bunch is a little more than an inch in diameter when you gather the stems into your hand like a bouquet.
 
Where can I find McCormick Cajun Seasoning in the Minneapolis area? NLH
You should find it at any major supermarket. If it's not in stock and they carry other McCormick products, you could probably ask the manager to order it for you.
 
Hi, I love mint! growing it true to form is not easy, however. In the past, my peppermint crossed with my pennyroyal. Neither was ever the same again, except that the cross grew everywhere and was not usable. I have peppermint, spearmint, catnip mint (not mentha family), lemon balm, and chocolate mint that I want to plant around my home. I am having difficulty finding out about cross-pollination. How far apart do they have to be planted to prevent cross-pollination, so they taste strongly as they originally did? ME
This is a problem with the mint family. That's why we can't grow peppermint from seed, too unreliable. I couldn't find a good answer to your question specifically but I did come across a field study where they wanted cross-pollination so they planted rows of 16'x 16' plots with 2' spacing. It's a complicated study but if you would like to read the whole thing, I offer this link.
 
What is the difference between SPICES and CONDIMENTS? BP
Spices are the fruits and/or seeds of some woody plants while condiments are prepared concoctions like ketchup and mustard.
 
Hi, I'm delighted to have found your website! I'm new to freezing herbs but found that freezing in cubes then putting into baggies works fine. However, I find it difficult to keep the herb submerged once I add water to the tray; the herbs float to top of cube & stick out. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for a great website - I'll visit often! J
Glad to have you aboard! You might try filling the ice cube tray just half way with the water and herbs. Once that is frozen you could top off the cubes, freeze again and the herbs will be in the middle.
 
I want to know how to tame the hot of jalapeno peppers. I saw in the grocery store they had tamed jalapenos. I love their flavor, but just a tad too hot. I would like to can some, how would you do it? LL
I happen to have a jar of those "tamed" jalapenos in the fridge now. I don't think they are any milder than other varieties but maybe I'm wrong. See the "Chile Pepper Q&A Page" for an explanation of why some chiles are hotter than others as well as links to recipes for canning chiles.
 
Hi dear, my 10 years old rosemary bushes has light green sorts. I spray for bugs, Ortho product and is not getting better. One bush after the vibrant color green the leaves started to dry and the whole tree dry to death. Please help me how stop this madness. Thank you CM
I doubt that bugs are your problem. It's sounds more like a deficiency or a disease. The best thing you can do it snip a good-sized sample and take it to a local nursery or greenhouse to see if they can help you remedy the situation.
 
Hi. My outdoor basil plant has some type of pest eating away at the leaves. Have tried the beer thing for slugs, without success. Today I found what I believe to be the insect poo on the underside of several leaves. It actually looks like a small black slug! Any ideas for me? Thanks! PKH
I have seen this thing you describe and I've been looking at Google images (insect frass) but can't seem to come up with a certain answer. Slugs are the likely culprit, however, because caterpillar frass is rather granular. You might try putting some sandpaper around the base of the plant or something else that is gritty on the slugs' undersides. Also be sure not to water the plant late in the day as the moisture will help attract slugs.
 
Hi great site!! I have two questions...I have grown beautiful bushy Basil every year in hanging plants on my deck. Last week I noticed lots of small brown mushrooms growing in the soil! Is this safe for the basil? Also is it safe to eat the Basil? Second Question I have just noticed that some of the stems at the bottom are turning a brown black colour and wilting the basil that is on that stem. What can be doing this? MS
The mushrooms aren't harmful to you or the basil as long as you don't eat them. They do indicate that you might be keeping the soil too wet which could also cause the second problem which may be root or crown rot.
 
Hi, Loved your site! I am wondering if you might know what eats basil (animal) I noticed 2 days ago that something had started eating the leaves (in full) & this morning when I checked the garden, all the leaves have been eaten off the stems! I have other veggies in the garden that have not been touched (broccoli, peppers, eggplant & squash) any suggestions? I have the garden fenced in & pretty much netted in on the sides, although I’m sure chipmunk, squirrels & field mice could find their way in. BC
Everybody likes basil! In addition to our four-legged friends you might want to look for caterpillars, some of them are voracious.
 
If I need to use 2 tsp of mustard seed can I use mustard powder instead and if so how much powder equals 2 tsp of mustard seed? Thanks WV
I don't think you would want to make this exchange if you are making pickles but otherwise it should be fine. I would use about 1 teaspoon mustard flour (powder) for 2 teaspoons seeds.
 
Can you buy seedless red pepper flakes? AW
The gang over at Chowhound.com suggest looking for seedless pepper flakes in Turkish and Asian grocery stores. Who knew?!
 
What is the conversion of a fresh garlic clove to a dried garlic powder or salt? ED
One garlic clove is equal to 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic. They usually use granulated garlic in garlic salt so you might want to use a bit more than 1/4 teaspoon but be sure to cut the rest of the salt in the recipe.
 
I would like to make sea salt and lavendar. Do I dry the flowers and grind them or leave them whole? What proportions of sea salt to lavendar? Thank you for your help. BA
Funny you should ask. I've been playing with sea salt and chive blossoms myself. Although I just used the fresh flower bits in my salt and they are staying preserved, I think it would have been better to dry them and then grind them coarsely. I'm not certain about the proportions but one part lavender to two parts salt might be a good place to start.
 
I have a full grown epazote plant in my garden. I’ve never used it before, in fact I’ve never grown any herbs before, so I’m wondering how I “harvest” it. Are the leaves and flowers combined when the recipe calls for a sprig of chopped epazote? And if I want to dry it, how do I do that? Thank you. DM
You chose an interesting plant to launch your herb gardening career. I haven't grown epazote myself but many people in the know say its best used fresh so good for you! You would want to strip the leaves, and flowers if present, from the stems in the recipe that calls for chopped leaves. I think it would be a good candidate for hanging dry. Please see the article "Look What I Made: An Herb Drying Rack" for more information.
 
If I am without bay leaves what herb would you use next? CJ
You can just skip the bay leaves without disastrous results. There is no good substitute but you might add a sprig of thyme or rosemary instead.
 
This is not a question, but a suggestion from a life-long Floridian for those asking about keeping citrus zest. I zest fresh fruit and store in very small zip plastic, then freeze. Key limes are seasonal and are required for authentic Key lime pies, so I also freeze the juice in cubes after sprinkling in some zest. Year-round zest and pies! This method also works for orange and lemon zest. Seems to stay aromatic for several months. I love the information at your Q and A page! LR
Thanks for the tip. Now I have a real hankering for key lime pie.
 
I hope you can help me. I have beautiful basil plants until about 3 weeks ago -- they are still looking healthy however, they have these really long almost grapevine like vines that are wrapping around the plants -- what caused this and what should I do?? Thanks so much, BK
Sounds like you have a weed. If you follow the vine to the ground you can snip it off there and the rest will die. To get rid of it for good you would also want to try to dig up the roots as best you can without disturbing the basil.
 
What can I use to use for substitute for thyme? S
Depending on the recipe you could use most of the other leafy herbs as a replacement. I think savory would be especially nice but rosemary, oregano or marjoram would work too.
 
A chicken recipe that I want to make calls for 1/2 cup of fresh basil. I only have dried basil leaves. Can I use this and in what amount. The recipe calls for some chopped nectarines, vinegar, and some salt/pepper along with the fresh basil. The chicken has a cornmeal breading. Can you help me?
That helps to know what you're making. Fresh basil would be preferable in what sounds like a sort of salsa topping but you should get good results by using about two teaspoons of dried basil. The typical conversion of 1/3 to 1/2 as much dried as fresh would be way too much, I think, in this preparation.
 
I bought a huge pot of basil with three or four large basil plants. I transplanted it into a large pot and it was doing great. All of a sudden some of the plants are drooping and wilting, with brown stems at the bottom. I pulled a couple of them out and the roots look wilted. Should I pull the other bad ones out and hope for the best with the survivors, or transplant the whole thing into the ground? I love your site! KD
Do a bit of research into a fungal disease called wilt, either Verticillium or Fusarium, to see if this matches your problem. It probably couldn't hurt to transplant the healthy plants to fresh soil or in the ground. You might also be overwatering so let the plants dry out a bit between soakings.
 
I have healthy-appearing, prolific basil. Then, suddenly, the stems are turning black at the soil and 2 inches above the soil in about a 2 inch stretch. Any ideas what's causing this? MR
You don't say if the stems have also turned mushy which could indicate stem, crown or root rot. This can be caused by overwatering or poor drainage. Sometimes the main stems of a healthy basil plant will darken as they grow.
 
Can basil and rosemary be grown together in the same bed? DW
Basil will need a bit more water than rosemary and rosemary doesn't like "wet feet." If you keep this in mind when watering the bed, they should be fine together.
 
A friend of ours gave us a basil plant she had grown in her garden and it's now in a pot. It was healthy but now there is a brownish black coloration and withering from the base of the leaves from the stem; otherwise the plant appears to be healthy. Could you please tell me how to restore it's health or what this could be? Thank you very much. KK
It's hard to say what the problem is. It might be as simple as damage from transplanting. If it is something more serious like Verticillium or Fusarium wilt, you have probably lost the whole plant by now. If it still looks like it's growing well I would just pull off the darkened leaves and see what happens.
 
How long do Basil Plants live? Thank you RC
Basil is usually grown as an annual, meaning it completes its life-cycle in one season, but if you can keep it warm (above 50 degrees F) and give it plenty of light it may last for years.
 
I cannot eat any nightshade vegetables. What can I use in place of peppers in a recipe? MAA
Thanks for making me learn something new. I wasn't sure what all of the nightshade vegetables were so I had to look it up. They are potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, tamarios, pepinos, pimentos, paprika, cayenne, and Tabasco sauce. Sure does take away many of the possible substitutes one might consider. Really, it depends on the recipe. Sometimes you could just leave the peppers out but if you need to make up bulk you might use celery, kohlrabi or other mild tasting vegetables. If it is the chile peppers you are looking to replace, you might experiment with turmeric (see "All About Turmeric") Fresh garlic would add a punch too. I wish I could be of more help but, wow, this nightshade business is really limiting!
 
Hi there....very nice site, I have about 30 purple basil plants and all are what I would call healthy however, they are slowly turning green from the lower leaves up about three quarters of the way, not yellow, they don't look deficient. They are in 4" pots, approx 10" plus or minus, very little bug kill and no real sign of any other problems. They are getting watered three times a day and needing it. I'm in Arkansas and it's 95 up and down. They have been growing from seed for nearly 11 weeks and up until the last week and a half have been deep purple. The aroma is as strong in the greener leaves as it is in the deep purple ones. Other then the loss of color I wouldn't know there is anything wrong. I'm guessing it's the small pots crowding the roots. They are trying to go to seed this week, pink flowers in the early stage on 20 percent of the plants....any ideas? DO
It's not unusual for a hybrid plant to revert to its original state, particularly when grown from seed. You sometimes see this with variegated leaves too. From what I understand, the best way to maintain the color of purple basil is to take cuttings and root them to get new plants rather than start from seeds. The heat is probably making the basil "bolt," or put out flowers so soon.
 
What can you sub for sumac? TK
Sumac has such a distinctive taste, there is no real substitute. In some cases a sprinkling of lemon juice might mimic the sour taste. Although I haven't tried it, I wonder if tamarind powder would work too. In her book Spices, Manisha Gambhir Harkins offers this advice following a recipe that calls for sumac: "If you can't find sumac but would like to try this salad, opt for a completely different flavor, but still Middle Eastern. In the Levant, caraway is used in many ways, and will give this salad a light anise flavor rather than the sour edge provided by the sumac. Add 1 teaspoon caraway seeds when you heat the oil, then proceed with the recipe--a refreshing alternative."
 
Is there a substitution for mustard seed when making pickles, I've been unable to find the mustard seed in the spice section. Thanks DL
Here's another spice to which nothing else offers a similar flavor. I'm really surprised that you can't find mustard seed, it is such a common spice. Maybe if you asked the store would order it for you.
 
I have a recipe to use crushed cinnamon sticks in sweet pickles. I’d like to substitute cinnamon oil. How much cinnamon oil equals one cinnamon stick? BJH
I can't come up with a definitive answer but judging from what I've read, you would not want to use much more than an eighth of a teaspoon. Cinnamon oil is really powerful stuff.
 
Hi, I have grown basil for years and always put up huge amounts of pesto. Last summer and this I have had big problems with grasshoppers attacking the plants. The two solutions I have read about are floating row covers and neem oil spray. Is neem oil really safe to eat and would it affect the flavor of the basil at all? What would you recommend? I have about 30 plants and it is early in the season and the grasshoppers are already at it. Thank you, EG
Although neem oil is supposedly safe, I think I would go with the floating row covers. Neem oil works systematically, meaning it goes into the roots and throughout the plant, and that just seems icky to me in pesto. One thing to note, grasshoppers lay eggs in the soil that overwinter and then hatch in the spring. You might want to cultivate the soil well in the fall to kill the eggs and perhaps prevent them from turning up next year.
 
This site is awesome!! Thank you!! I have been around chive plants for almost 60 years and never realized, or heard of, the blossoms ever being used! Please, please, how do I freeze, or dry, the blossoms? Mine are about ready to blow away and I would like to harvest them. Again, please and thank you! LX
Thanks to you for your enthusiasm! I have never tried to dry the blossoms but you might give it a whirl by snipping the whole stalk and them hanging them upside down to dry. Try not to have the heads all bunched together. They need air to circulate around them in order to dry completely. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
 
Hello, An old family recipe for barbeque calls for 1/4 Cup of chopped celery. I need to substitute celery seed for the fresh celery. Would you have a suggestion as to how much celery seed may give the flavor of this amount of fresh celery, without being overwhelming? Thanks for your expertise! CM
I want to say one teaspoon but I think I would actually start with half a teaspoon just to make sure you don't overdo it. The seeds are very small and will disperse well.
 
Hi, I've found several recipes which specify fennel. Since I have quite a bit of fennel seed, how much fennel seed should I use when fennel bulbs are specified? Thank you. MLP
This is one of those times you have to be careful. In some recipes, the fennel bulb is actually a vegetable so substituting just seeds would change not only the flavor a bit but also the texture of the recipe. You might add some celery along with the fennel seed as is suggested at the Cook's Thesaurus website.
 
Hello, I am wondering if chives can be dried at home. I would like to hear from you. Thanks, MM
Your best bet for drying chives would be a food dehydrator I think. Most commercial chives are freeze dried.
 
Hi. I have a 4ft bay shrub in the garden which I grew from a tiny shoot about 5 years ago. As we changed the patio this spring I unfortunately had to move it in March and although it seemed ok for a while it is now fast developing a white creamy substance over the trunk and onto branches. The leaves especially at the top are turning yellow. It looks quite fungal to me (although I am no expert) and fast moving. I can wipe it off with kitchen paper but the trunk still looks a bit white afterwards. Am also worried our cats might have used the area as a toilet and have affected it. Please help! Thanks! KH
Hmmm, I'm a little stumped here. It could be some sort of cankers although I can't find any that match your description. Could it also be powdery rather than creamy? Powdery mildew is white but usually described as looking sort of like flour or talcum powder. You might want to see if you can get someone to come out and look at it for an accurate diagnosis.
 
Hi-thanks for listening, I've always planted basil from seed every year. This year Chicago weather has been a little off. I planted too early and had to buy a couple of small planters from my local shop. One of the pots has a rose color coming on all of the leaves. From the stem outward. No visible bugs. I have a feeling it is on the way to being brown in a matter of moments. PS - Onions. chives, and tomatoes are doing great on the same patio. CG
This rose color may just be due to the type of basil it is. Many of varieties exist and they often have a purple or reddish hue.
 
I have a punch recipe that calls for 4 cups fresh mint leaves. As I have had NO luck growing mint and a friend of mine has 3 gallon jars of freshly dried mint. Can I use this and would I use the same amount, 4 cups in the recipe? Your help would be greatly appreciated as this is my favorite and I have not been able to make it because of my brown thumb with mint. AS
I would not make this substitution. While you would likely get the same flavor using about half as much of the dried mint as you would fresh, I fear you would end up with lots of unattractive mint shards floating around in the punch and getting hung up on people's teeth.
 
I was wondering, how will I know when my peppermint leaves are ready to use for things like tea, etc? CC
You can pinch the leaves whenever you have enough not to strip the plant. Generally, you want to take no more than one-third of a plant at any given time.
 
I enjoy using lemon basil and my husband is growing it in the herb garden. Can you tell us more about it and perhaps a recipe or two? Thank you. DS
The name says it all as I'm sure you have guessed. You can use it just the way you would use plain basil as long as a lemon taste would not be out of place. Think of it especially for fish and vegetables. I'll bet a quarter cup of the leaves would be a delicious addition to the salad greens in our Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing. You might also try lemon basil in place of the lemon balm in our recipe for Snow Peas with Almonds and Lemon Balm.
 
Hello, Can you tell me the difference between roasted red peppers and pomentoes? I make my own pomentoe cheese spread and I couldn't find any pomentoes in the store. Can I use the roasted red peppers instead and have the same flavor? Thank you. JD
Pimentos are the fresh version of paprika and from what I can tell, they are not roasted. A high quality jarred pimento probably has a bit more flavor than a red pepper but the roasting would make it richer so I think you would end up with just about the same thing.
 
Hi there. I just found your website and it has helped a lot. some questions though. First, I have 6 mint plants growing, an applemint, a pineapple mint, two spearmints and two peppermints only my two pots of peppermint look nothing alike one another and same with my spearmint. Do I just have a different branch of mint or are they totally different species? One of them has small, dark green, more ovate leaves while the other is a lighter green and has more jagged leaves. Any ideas? Second question, I'm growing my mint in pots as I don't want them to take over my mom's garden. How big should my pots be for ideal growth? Third, what's the best way to preserve mint leaves, drying or freezing? I've had a pretty bad experience with microwave drying but is there a better way? Last question, is there a technique to growing mint so that the flavor is strongest? Some days its very strong and some others I feel like I'm just chewing on a regular leaf. thank you! TRS
You have a lot of mint questions! Here we go, so many types of mints exist, I'm not surprised that you have come across different varieties. It could even be different cultural experiences for the plants such as light or fertilizer. Pot size depends on plant size, really, but an eight- or ten-inch pot would be a good place to start. Please see the article "A Bounty of Basil: How to Preserve the Harvest" for ideas about how to dry or freeze. Mint is very similar to basil so these techniques should work. For the best flavor from herbs, resist using fertilizers and harvest the leaves before the plants flower.
 
Good day to you. I have beautiful basil, and in the last 2 days, I have noticed small black spots, with a light colour around it. What could this be?? I live in the tropics, the Caribbean and with the heat I do water daily. This has not been an issue. Also, some of the leaves look as though they have created veins, a white colour running over the leaf. Hope you know what I mean. Looking forward to your reply. Best Regards, GA
Your spots may be a fungal disease called leaf blight. As for the veins, if I understand your description, it sounds like a pest called leafminers. I suggest you look into these two possibilities. The University of California's Integrated Pest Management Program website is a good place to start.
 
The recipe I'm making calls for 1/4 cup of fresh dill, but the packaged price is a bit high. I found dill seed at a much lower price. Can this be substituted, and if so, what is the equivalent? Thank you. KP
We covered this topic in many ways during the last pickle-making season. Please see the "Fresh or Dried Q&A Page."
 
My mom and I have recently planted a jalapeno plant in our garden. We started to notice that on bottom side of the leaves on the stem little white balls have appeared. They are tiny and grow in rows along the stem of the leaf. We have scraped it off before and it is sort of cottony. The plant looks healthy, but we don't want some mysterious disease, or bug to eat our growing jalapeno. We live in NV. Please help. Thanks! ~two novice gardeners.
I have two ideas so you will have to do a bit more research. One, these white balls could be lady bug eggs. They grow in rows as you describe but I'm not sure about being cottony. A cottony insect is mealy bugs. Or it could be something else entirely. I suggest you try to find photos of white insects/eggs to compare to yours. You don't want to be killing lady bugs because they are beneficial to your garden.
 
I live in Las Vegas, NV. My landscape architect just planted creeping rosemary in our new front yard. I’m wondering if creeping rosemary is safe to use in cooking, or if it’s just for “looks.” Thank you. LP
Creeping, or prostrate, rosemary is indeed still culinary rosemary. The question here is how yours were grown. The nursery or supplier may have used chemicals to produce hardy, landscape-worthy plants so you should check the origin.
 
Hi. I planted 2 basil plants outside in CT a couple of weeks ago. They look relatively healthy, but the leaves look brownish now—not spotted brown, just tinted brown. Is this a problem, and if so, what can I do? (It did get really cold a night or two but when there was a chance for frost, I covered the plants with plastic for the night). L
Cold weather is the likely culprit although the leaves may have been bruised somewhere along the way. I would just keep an eye on the new growth as the weather warms. The plant should be okay. The brownish leaves are edible but not appetizing so you might want to discard them as the plant gets bigger.
 
Hi, I planted my sweet basil plant 2 months ago and it is growing nicely. My wife took a leaf to taste it and it tasted very bitter. Will this go away? Why does it taste so bitter? Thanks. SC
Bitterness in basil is generally associated with older plants that have been allowed to flower. It could also be the flavor of the variety that you have planted. You might want to try cooking with it to see if it retains that bitterness when combined with other foods. This is a good case for giving herb plants a little taste before you buy them.
 
I found a small amount of mint in my yard when I moved here about 6 years ago and dug it up and put it in my flower bed. I keep pulling it out and trying to get all the roots but a week are so later it is growing all over the place again. How do I stop it from growing and killing my other plants? help me if you can. JH
You are in for a long battle. You should know that mint grows from "runners" so you will want to dig as much of the roots as possible. As you pull the foliage above ground, try to dig around a bit and follow the runner to pull it out of the ground too.
 
What can I substitute for dill in a catfish receipt? The bottle in the store would last us several life times. NT
Tons of herbs and spices go well with fish. You can't get a real dill flavor from anything else except the weed or seed but you might consider adding tarragon or thyme instead.
 
Hi. I'm trying to find information about the nutritional value of herbs, and also, or should I say mainly, if they work synergistically with other foods when you add them to recipes. Do you have any info? Can you point me in the right direction? I'd really like to know if the nutritional value is more than the sum of its parts. I've recently joined a herb gardening group and would like to share any info I gather. Thanks, CF
I'm not aware of any studies that have been done on the synergy of herbs but I can point you to some nutritional information. The World's Healthiest Foods website has many herbs and spices listed if you search on the individual ingredient.
 
Is there such a thing as Pinch of Herbs seasoning? My mom used it in meat loaf and said it was out of this world. But as the years have gone by, she cannot find it any more. Would really like to surprise her with this. MI
Apparently this is a blend from Lawry's that has been discontinued. You could really surprise your mum by making up a batch yourself. I found a copycat recipe at recipezaar.
 
I don't have fresh coriander...my recipe calls for 1/2 cup fresh coriander. How much ground coriander do I use? DH
Did you know that fresh coriander is really cilantro? Ground coriander is the seed so the flavors will be somewhat different. If I were going to make this substitution I would sprinkle a half cup of fresh parsley leaves with a teaspoon of ground coriander and then chop up the parsley.
 
I have a couple of recipes out of a magazine that I would like to try to make, and it does not specify if the amount called for is before or after chopping fresh mint. (I am guessing after) In one it calls for a teaspoon of fresh mint and another a quarter cup. How do I know how much to start cutting so I am not wasteful? TD
Depending on the size of the leaf, a two-inch sprig of mint would probably give you about a teaspoon chopped. For the quarter cup I think I would just measure out that much in fresh leaves stripped from the stems and then chop them.
 
Great site - tons of information. My question has to do with cutting the mustard. Literally. I recently made a meatloaf recipe from a relative's memory. Naturally, there were no measurements. I went a little heavy on the mustard and tried to mask it by heavy-ing up on the other un-measured ingredients. Didn't work so well as mustard is so distinctive. I won't make the same mistake twice, but need to know: are there any herbs or spices that I could've added that would mellow out that mustardy goodness? Thank you so much, EM
 Aside from making a whole second batch of the recipe without the mustard to mix with the too-mustardy batch, I don't know of a way around this particular problem. In fact, I wonder if the overspiced meatloaf continued to build in heat as leftovers aged? I've noticed some dishes with chiles get hotter the longer they are around.
 
I'm from western-prairie Canada...what on God's green earth is "crab boil seasoning" and is there a substitute for it if I can't find it in Edmonton? (I can't seem to find gumbo file powder, either, but I'll try the TnT supermarket that someone mentioned...) Thanks. L
Crab boil seasoning, also called shrimp boil sometimes, is usually a little mesh bag of whole seasonings that flavor the water for cooking seafood. You might consider making your own. I found a recipe from Emeril Lagasse for seafood boil seasoning mix.
 
I have a new pineapple mint that I just repotted into a large container along with chocolate mint and spearmint. I noticed that there are white spots, even small clumps in places developing on the pineapple mint leaves. What is this, or caused this, and are my other mints in danger of contamination and therefore be transplanted? KC
If the spots are sort of cottony it could be mealy bugs. Or it could just be water damage or salt build-up. Try giving the plant a nice little water bath and see if the problem persists. If it does, you will want to separate it from the other plants to avoid spreading. You might also look into powdery mildew.
 
My new sweet basil plant has holes in the leaves and some eaten up. Is there something I can put in the potting soil or spray on the plant? Thank you for a response. BQ
You can't treat the problem until you have identified it. My first guess would be slugs and snails. The best way to discover them is to take a flashlight out at night and see if you can find the culprit.
 
How do you make bay leaf oil juice? Do you boil leaves in water? AB
I've never heard of bay leaf oil juice. Essential oils are extracted from herbs through the process of steam distillation which is something we can't accomplish at home. You might find bay leaf oil at your local health food store.
 
I am looking for recipes that use Tahini seasoning other than humus. Thank you, TD
You will find tahini as an ingredient in our Sesame Ice Cream. It is also common to salad dressings and sometimes baked goods. You will find plenty of options by Googling "tahini dressing recipes" or "tahini cookies."
 
Hi, I have an 6-7ft rosemary plant that has been in the same place for about 12 years. This year some of the branches have a brown crusty sort of stuff on them and a good part of the lowest section of them have turned gray and I believe are dying. What is the brown stuff, does the gray branches mean it is dying and how much should I cut back? I have read not to cut more than one third but there is more than that on the plant. This is the first time I have had any issue with the plant. It is beside an lilac tree and a sage bush, which neither of them as shown any sign of problems. Thank you for your time to answer this issue. CO
It's hard to say what the problem or problems might be without seeing the damage. It might be a good idea to take a sample branch to your local garden center to see if they can help you.
 
I live just north of Vancouver, BC have had my bay leaf plant in the garden for 16 years. Always very healthy until this spring I noticed the leaves all looked like they had been frozen (we did have an unusually cold winter) looking closer I see inside the tree the leaves are green but are also covered with rust. Can I do anything to save this plant? MH
It is important to determine whether your plant has suffered from winter damage or if it is actually a case of the fungal disease called rust. Chances are good that the plant can recover from the cold winter if you give it some time. You may want to snip an affected branch and take the sample in to your local Master Gardeners for a diagnosis.
 
When visiting my daughter in Sacramento, California, I see such beautiful rosemary bushes. I would like to find a perennial rosemary that would stand the cold of zone 5 in Chautauqua County, western NYS, and that would grow substantially large. The typical rosemary plant I buy at the nurseries locally are spindly and only grow a few inches. Any advice? CB
You may be out of range for the rosemary plant of your dreams. The folks at the National Arboretum have put together a list of winter hardy varieties along with tips to help plants through the winter. One alternative would be put get a large pot on wheels that you could have a nice rosemary plant outdoors in the summer and then take it inside during the winter.
 
Hi. I live in Canada in Kingston, Ontario (Thousand Island region). I think we are in the zone 5 region. I took a chance on planting an herb garden last late, late spring. Our chives have been extremely hardy over the last 10 years, so I thought perhaps I could get lucky with other herbs. Also, I love to cook from scratch and try to use only fresh ingredients, including fresh herbs. Therefore, I was motivated by the off chance I could cultivate an herb garden. The basil was tremendous, the thyme not so bad, the rosemary so, so to not bad. Now after reading your helpful responses to other gardeners mostly living in hardier sunny climes in the U.S. I was convinced you could give me some basic skills to continue my herb garden. For example: What do I do now this Spring with the dried out plants that have suffered a fairly cold winter? Do I pull out these out root and all? or will they self propagate like the chives. The chives, as expected are flourishing beautifully. But the herbs as mentioned above are well looking extremely sad. I have already planted a new crop of rosemary, basil, etc. in my makeshift indoor garden and they are coming along well indeed. I am very excited. So I went out to prepare the garden to transplant my little seedling but was confronted with last years dried out crop. Help! What should I do? Thanks ever so much. DO
You will definitely need a new basil plant since that is an annual. You could wait to see if the thyme starts putting out new leaves (the rosemary should be evergreen so it's probably done) but since you have new plants at the ready I think I would just yank out the old ones rootball and all and transplant your new herbs.
 
Hello, I recently planted a small herb garden consisting of Italian basil, oregano and garlic chives. For about a week now, I have noticed quite a few small black flies in the garden and holes in and cutouts in the basil leaves. Any idea what these flies are? They are not around the basil (at least during the day). Thanks. KH
The pest you see and the damage you see are likely unrelated. Without more information it is hard to say what the flies might be but I would guess you have some snails and/or slugs munching at your basil.
 
I have a recipe that calls for 3 Tbsp dried oregano, but I have ground. How much ground oregano would I add? It also asks for 1tsp dried thyme, but I have ground. What is the conversion factor when substituting from dried to ground? I appreciate your input! OR
We cover this a lot on the "Fresh vs. Dried Q&A Page." The easy answer is use about 3/4 as much ground as dried leaf but I have to ask: how long have you had those ground herbs? Herbs that have been ground have the shortest shelf life so if you have had them around for six months or more, I encourage you to replace them with a nice, fresh, dried leaf.
 
I'm looking for a spice that my mother used to used in making chilli. We always called it chilli tepenis a little pepper like spice that you had to crush with your fingers, very carfully as they were very hot. In reading an article in Smithsonian I learn that maybe they are chilltepens. Mom would buy them in Safeway in a box under the name of McMormick. We lived in Washington State. I have looked in Safeways and other stores but have not been able to find them since the late 70's or early 80's. Thank you. sdm
Pendery's is my go-to source for all types of chiles. I checked their catalog and they have an item called "tepin pods." Sounds like the pepper you seek. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it on their website to provide you a link so you might want to call them. The number is 800-533-1870.
 
What is the English name for yerbanise or hierbanise? I don't actually know how to spell it right. I'm told the tea is very helpful but I don't know how to ask for it. Would appreciate very much your help thanks. Please answer asap. LL
Anise seed seems to be the right answer here. Read more about this spice at "All About Anise."
 
Thanks in advance. I started planting basil, how can I kill bugs on my basil? There are lots of holes on the leaf. Please help. JA
First you have to figure out what's eating your basil. Check out the "Basil Q&A Page" as a place to start.
 
Where can I buy Schilling/McCormick Mexican Seasoning (Mild Flavor)? I'd even be happy if I could find some other brand that has a close taste or a 'Recipe' to make my own. Help!! JT
Forget about the Schilling part, it's all McCormick now. I'm not familiar with this seasoning. If it's like a chili powder blend, I can't help but if it is more of a taco seasoning, take a look at our recipe for "Taco Meat Filling."
 
Any idea what could be wrong with the garlic? I live in S. Fla and once a year in the spring, the garlic bulbs I buy don't smell/taste right. Smells almost like a very mild onion....recipes requiring a lot of smashed cloves, (Broccoli rabe, pesto, ziti) really taste bland using these bulbs. At times it's when the garlic has purplish red streaks in it and that is all the store has to offer. This time the garlic looks completely normal and white...I even purchased it from 2 diff. places...farmers market and store.. and loose as well as small boxes...they are all the same. It's not just me or my nose...my husband and kids agree and notice the taste of garlic missing from recipes. I wondered if it is something with the crops...will have to use the jarred kind until new batches come in...your thoughts? thanks, KC
Here's my theory: At this time of year you are getting the more mild "stiffneck" variety. You are accustomed to the "softneck" type that is stronger and flavor and stores better. Next year, you might want to stock up on the garlic that you prefer to get you through or maybe even consider growing your own.
 
Hi, We had a harsh winter here and my bay tree seems to have gotten frozen. The tree is about 8' high and HAD been very healthy but is now entirely covered in brown leaves? What should I do? I am wondering if I need to cut the plant way back, or is it dead? AM
This is a tree rather than an herb plant so you should consult with a certified arborist to decide on the best approach.
 
I’ve just recently had two severed allergic reaction with shrimps but I love seafood and never had a problem. Could it be the old bay seasoning? CR
Hard to say. You should take this matter up with an allergist.
 
If I added some chopped fresh garlic to store-bought pickles, how long would it be safe to store them in the refrigerator. How about if I use the garlic in the jar?
I hesitate to say for sure because you are introducing the risk of botulism. Perhaps you could look for store-bought garlic pickles instead.
 
HI, My Rosemary is about 5-6 years old at least, 4 feet tall, and has been flourishing every year. I just went out to cut some branches to bring indoors and noticed that there were a number of dead branches and the tip of every branch had needles that were a darker brown and dying. I cut off each tip, but some of the needles further down were also a dark brown. I brought in some of the dead branches and may use them in my smoker or BarBQ Grill. Any idea on what is causing the branch tips to turn brown and the branches to die? We did have a cold winter this year, but not a lot of rain or snow. Thanks, CCS
Your description fits what happened to my rosemary this winter too. I noticed some branches were dead because they had broken off under the weight of snow. In addition to the stress of the cold, your plant could be a little dehydrated as well as wind whipped. If you aren't getting much rain you might want to give it a drink but it should be okay.
 
Where can I find crabapples around the Waco TX area. I'm wanting to make crabapple jelly and cannot find any crabapples. Are they even native to this area? Thanks CG
Crabapples should grow well in your area. Perhaps you could put a notice on Craig's List or a little ad in your local newspaper's classified to find someone who has an overabundance.
 
I like your site but two of the spices I could not find the translation from Spanish to English: What is hierba buena in English? What is Malagueta in English? Thanks, SS
Yerba buena is the same as hierba buena but I realize that's not much help. This coastal plant's botanical name is Clinopodium douglasii. Yerba buena seems to refer to different plants in different parts of the world. Most often that plant is a mint. As for Malagueta, it doesn't seem to have an English nickname but the botanical name is Capsicum frutescens var. malagueta. It is similar to Tabasco peppers. Wikipedia points out that malagueta is sometimes confused with melegueta which we also know as "grains of paradise."
 
Should garlic (fresh from the produce department) be refrigerated after it has been opened or in the cupboard? Thanks for your help. E
If you mean the bulbs of a fresh head of garlic, they should be stored at room temperature. If you mean those jars of minced garlic, yes, they should be refrigerated after opening.
 
Could you please give me a recipe for a chilli paste that I can add to my cooking. We have heaps of chillis to do this with. Thank you. Kindest regards, BK
Mark Bittman has a recipe for Chili Garlic Paste that sounds easy and tasty on his blog Bitten.
 
All of my spices are hard as a rock in their containers in the closet at my RV. How do I make them usable? DK
I'm not aware of anyway to take them back to a powder once the moisture has encroached. You might be able to use a knife to break them up (be careful!) or try rubbing them on a grater. You are probably better off just starting with a fresh batch and using a product like Dry Spice to prevent future problems.
 
Hi, our family just bought a bay leaf plant (very small, maybe 10 inches) a month or so ago. The problem is, it is now spitting the honeydew substance previously mentioned in this column, also there are small white things (sort of cottony, very small, could be bugs??) covering the plant/leaves. It is early spring and we live in Massachusetts so keeping it outside may not be healthy if it happens to snow again. Please help!! G
It isn't the plant that is producing the honeydew, it's some sort of pest. You might want to do research on mealy bugs. Try to find a photograph of the bugs to compare to those on your plant. You can actually eliminate several different pests simply by giving the plant a strong blast of water.
 
I have recently discovered mint. I chop my mint roughly and put in small clip seal bags to freeze. I have noticed that the mint is black in color when I get it out. My sister in law just read an article on herbs, it said not to freeze mint. It didn't say why. Is it bad to do this and why? Thank you EM
You are bruising the mint when you chop it, thus causing it to blacken. You might want to look at the article "A Bounty of Basil: How to Preserve the Harvest." Mint and basil are similar plants so I should think the preservation techniques would be similar.
 
What happened to Schilling Mexican Seasoning? It has seemed to have disappeared from all of my local supermarkets. How can I make taco meat now? Thanks, KB
I saw a Schilling Taco Seasoning mix today in the spice aisle of the supermarket. Perhaps they renamed it? You'll find a good from-scratch recipe for taco meat on the "At Home Mexican Resturant Page."
Where on line can I buy dried anise seeds for baking? PR
You'll find links to online spice shops that we like at the "Reference Desk Page."
 
Hi, I planted some mint stems. The stems had healthy , nice , big leaves which I used in my cooking and then built the stems. In a week leaves started showing up, but they haven't become big since then. In fact this is the second time I am planting mint stem and the leaves are not growing big. How many days does it take for the mint leaves to become big and usable. Thanks, KR
Commercial growers don't take a harvest until the second year so it might be more than a matter of days before you get the large leaves you seek.
 
Was wondering if giving students a mint before taking a test actually improves concentration? Thank you. C.B.
The Wisconsin Mint Industry offers us this fun fact: "Recent research conducted at the University of Cincinnati has shown that sniffing mint improves concentration; several Japanese companies now pipe small amounts through their air conditioning systems to invigorate workers and improve productivity."
 
What can the herb feverfew be used for? What are the side affects if used wrong? W
Feverfew leaves have a laundry list of uses as a medicinal herb in history. Newer research indicates it may be helpful in the treatment of migraines. It may cause stomach upset and mouth ulcerations as well as being potentially addictive. You can learn about the current research at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center website's informative section about herbs.
 
To make bay leaf tea can branches be boiled also? PE
I don't think I would want to include the branches. It's the leaves that have the flavor.
 
This is a wonderful resource! I'm preparing for my daughter's birthday party in May, and I want to candy spearmint leaves for her as a special surprise. I would like to make them well in advance, but I don't know how well they hold up. How far in advance can I make them, and what's the best way to store them so they maintain their candied/frosted appearance? MC
The biggest factor is humidity which can make them go limp or give you trouble getting them completely dry. Why not make some now and see how long they stay crisp? Store them in an airtight container in single layers with waxed or parchment paper between layers. I'm guessing you have already seen the article "Take Time to Stop and Eat the Flowers."
 
I have had great trouble recently acquiring Rosemary. Any suggestions why this is and is there a substitute? RI
I can't imagine why you would have trouble getting your hands on rosemary. It's been a tough winter but rosemary is a tough plant. In a pinch, you might use lavender as a substitute. They are similar in flavor.
 
What is the difference between mint and spearmint? Would you use spearmint on roast lamb? L
Mint is just a more generic term for all the different types while spearmint is specific. Spearmint is exactly what I would want for a lamb roast. Be sure to check out the article "All About Mint" for more information.
 
Hi, We live in Northern California and have four true seasons winter snow etc. and have creeping rosemary in our garden area. These have been in the ground for many years and have been thriving. They are actually quite large. However this winter it appears we have lost 98% of the plants. They just began to turn and drop all the leaves. Should I cut them back and hope they will regrow or leave the branches in hopes that they will rebloom? Thanks for time regarding this matter. SB
I've been hearing many people say they lost their rosemary to this crazy winter. I suggest you give it a bit more time to see if they will start putting out green leaves again. Once they do, if they do, you will see what is dead and can prune that out.
 
To those ANGEL DIP aficionados, I believe I have hit pay dirt. While looking online for this wonderfully addicting chip and veggie dip from the 60s and 70s, I came across a spice distributor called “Rosemary House” in Pennsylvania. They used to carry ANGEL DIP back in the day. Now, Rosemary House markets and sells this great dip as Aunt Hildegard's Divine Dip. I ordered 5 packages at $4 each. The salesclerk said that the ingredients might have been slightly altered since its first incarnation as ANGEL DIP, but reassured me I would not be able to tell the difference. I will let you know! The website is: www.therosemaryhouse.com. LD
Thanks for the heads up!
 
Hi! I’m wondering if you could tell me if it is normal for mustard seed to have a strange odour after soaking? I’d appreciate any advise you can give me on this matter. Thanks in anticipation, RM
This is an interesting question so I soaked some mustard seed and then smelled it. At first I thought, yes, that is strange, but after a few more sniffs it reminded me more of a vinegary mustard. Mustard seed has no aroma until it meets liquid.
 
When I was in Nev. this past summer I saw spreading rosemary used as ground cover, it looked beautiful. I live in central Florida and have an up right rosemary in the garden. Will the spreading/trailing rosemary grow here? So far I have had no luck finding it at any local stores. BD
The variety you seek is known as "prostrate" and should do well in your area. You might look for nurseries that specialize in rock garden plants. I did find it for sale as a plant only in my Territorial Seed catalog.
 
Where can I buy herbes de provence in Rhode Island? F
You should be able to find this French herb blend alongside the rest of the spices at a well-stocked supermarket. Gourmet stores will often sell it in nifty little crocks.
 
Does garlic go bad? BD
In my experience, garlic sort of dries up rather than going bad so to speak. It will sometimes sprout indicating it is past its prime but you can remove the sprouting center and still use the clove, if desired. Garlic is best kept at room temperature.
 
I overwatered my lavender and the stems have gotten “woody”. I have tried to let it dry out and cut the really droopy part away. The other part looked perky and then it started to droop too. What should I do? It is in a container with shells about 1.5 “ thick on the bottom for drainage. Thank you! BM
Lavender is a plant that is considered a "sub-shrub" so its nature is to get somewhat woody as time passes. You may need to prune your plant in order to reinvigorate it. Find out how and see other tip for growing lavender near the bottom of the "Lavender List 2007" article.
 
Where can I find Schilling's Swedish Meatball Packets? JC
You will find it in the envelopes with the McCormick label. The company used to sell the same line under two different names, defined by the eastern and western US, but these days it is all McCormick.
 
Hi! I have a 3 year old bay plant in the yard, leaves have brown spots that look like dried spots. Could one still use these for cooking or are these brown spotted leaves health hazards when consumed? Thank you. ZM
Leaf spot can be caused by a variety of fungal or bacterial diseases. It would be best to determine the cause, take a few affected leaves to your local garden center, before using them for cooking. While they are not likely to hurt you, especially since you don't actually eat the leaf, I think I would use the leaves without spots.
 
What is exactly Food Grade Lavender? DC
It is lavender that is grown as food so it is safe to ingest versus that grown for crafts or other purposes that may be treated with chemicals or other unsavory substances. Also, some varieties are better suited to culinary use than others. See "All About Lavender." 
 
I have tried making curry many times but it never comes out quite right. Do I mix the spices and fry them first or do I add the spices to the fried onions or does it make no difference. An answer to this and any useful hints would be appreciated. GLC
Frying the spices in oil or ghee releases essential oils. I think either way, before the onions or after, works equally well. I've seen recipes that do both. Toasting the spices in a dry skillet before grinding them will highlight their flavors. I like to use heavy cream to make the sauce but I don't know how authentic that is. I also tried a recipe once where they called for not shaking the can of coconut milk but scooping out that thickened cream that rises to the top. The curry spices were then fried along with that cream for quite some time.
 
I almost know the answer already but...I can't take real hot jalapenos and I love them stuffed with cream cheese and sausage, is it just 'take a chance' sometimes I get fresh that are milder, then the next time I can't eat them they're so hot. Is their any way to judge the heat when buying??? I sure wish there was. thanks Can't take the heat in OK. lol OE
 How hot a chile will be is determined by climate, growing conditions and the degree of ripeness, not to mention the variety. One way you might attempt to get a milder jalapeno is to look for those that are grown in cooler climates or even those that are cultivated in hot climates during the winter.
 
I planted rosemary approximately 6-8 months ago. I thought by now it would have grown outward to each side, as I've seen most rosemary bushes. Instead, all my plants have grown a couple inches upward. What did I do incorrectly or did I plant the wrong kind??? Thanks GG
It is a plant's natural inclination to grow up rather than out. To encourage a plant to be bushy instead of tall we can snip from the uppermost growth. This causes the plant to send out shoots from the side as well.
 
Where can I purchase diastatic malt powder in Houston, TX? SL
You might find it locally at a homebrewer's supply or a wholesale bakery supply house but it would probably be easier to order it online. I get mine from the King Arthur Flour website.
 
Greetings: I love the taste of Rosemary and I have a habit of grabbing a piece if I'm walking down the street and a business might have a bush growing. But sometimes I've noticed that it'll make my throat burn and I wondered if there was any harm eating Rosemary without washing it off? DL
It is a bad idea to eat any plant if you don't know how it grown or if it is not grown as a food. Landscape plantings are often treated with pesticides and fertilizers to maintain a lush appearance.
 
My recipe calls for one bunch of rosemary. It's 2 degrees outside. All I have in the house is ground rosemary. Can you help with a conversion? SW
One bunch of rosemary is a large quantity. I'm guessing it would be removed at the end of cooking. To flavor the recipe with ground rosemary, you might start with a half teaspoon or so and taste to see if you need to make adjustments.
 
Hi there. Great website. I took a cutting from my mom's mint plant, brought it home and let it root in water. I planted it and after a couple months out of nowhere, tiny black specks started appearing. They are so small and definitely not poop of any kind. I keep the plant inside on my window sill so I can't imagine it's any type of caterpillar. The leaves aren't nearly as vibrant as they were and the only leaves not affected yet are the most apical ones. I've raised these little guys for a while and am quite fond of them. Can I save them? RS
Could it be aphids? You might try just spraying them away with a strong stream of water or even squishing them with gloved fingertips. Also consider mites--do a little research on eriophyid mites to see if they match your description.
 
I have a recipe for a cleansing tonic that calls for 12 spearmint leaves - I have a bag of dried spearmint - can you tell me please how much of the dried will give me the equivalent of 12 fresh leaves? Thank you! GTM
Going with the general 1 teaspoon dried to 1 Tablespoon fresh idea, try using 4 dried leaves.
 
Hello, I would like to know how I can trim my purple sage? It is way too big and high for my small garden. JG
You can trim it like you would a shrub. Make your cuts at a spot on the stems just above a leaf pair and consider the shape of the entire plant as you go. Find out more at the article "Herb Harvest How-To."
 
Are mustard seeds good for sprouting? Are they edible? AM
According to the Sproutpeople, mustard seeds are a little more tricky to sprout than some other seeds but well worth the effort because they are delicious.
 
Are nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves considered tree nuts? AMM
The short answer is no but you should be aware that these spices may be processed for packaging at places that are also processing tree nuts and sesame seeds. I found an interesting discussion on the topic at the Allergic Living website's forum. I encourage you to talk to a health professional about this question.
 
Hi & thanks for having such an awesome resource! The people that maintain our lawn were cleaning out our flowerbeds thinking they were doing a good thing. Turns out they cut my wife’s rosemary bushes down (apparently thinking they were weeds?) at the base. The plants were about 3 feet tall and ½-3/4” in diameter at the base. Are these plants pretty much toast or is rosemary hearty enough to actually grow back from such a calamity? We live in Charlotte, NC – a very rosemary friendly place, climate-wise. Thanks in advance! CH
Oh dear. Given your location, I would bet that they will come back. It shouldn't take too long to see if new growth occurs. I am quite curious, however, so I hope you'll let us know what happens.
 
I purchased a Laurus nobilis this past summer and brought it in the house in the fall. It was doing fine, until this week, when I noticed that the leaves were curling and looking like they could fall off. I also noticed what appears to be new leaves forming just above these curling leaves. The plant is about 16 inches tall, not near any heat vents and I live in Northern Illinois. If the leaves fall off do you think new leaves will form? Please Help. Thank you. NB
Sounds like new leaves are already sprouting so it could be just a normal regeneration process. Continue to give it the same care while it's indoors but keep in mind, most houseplants are killed from too much attention rather than too little.
 
Please let me know if there is a substitute for celery seed which I I cannot find in local shops. I want to use it in a German potato salad.
Thank you,  JB
Caraway or dill seeds would be acceptable substitutes, especially for a German potato salad.
 
My wife says she saw a show where Katie Couric said that you should not use any spices that were more than 6 months old because they were a breeding ground for bacteria. As a result, she keeps wanting me to throw out all my spices and buy new ones. With all due respect to Ms. Couric as a journalist, I have looked on the web (USDA, FDA, other sites) and have been unable found any support for this claim. I myself have used spices that are over 10 years old, and they look, smell, and taste fine to me. What is your opinion? thank you, GH
My opinion is that something has been lost in translation. Flavored oils are often rife with bacteria but I've never heard of it being a problem with dried herbs and spices.
 
When I went to buy my basil plants the store had only 3 of the kind with which I am familiar - green basil. However, they also had something labeled "purple basil." Can I use this the same way I use green basil in salads, with tomatoes & mozzarella cheese or in pesto (purple pesto)? Thanks so much - I just found your web site and it is so helpful! KM
Basil is basil no matter what the color. Flavors may vary somewhat between different varieties. Give a leaf a taste and see if you like it.
 
How many cloves are in a typical bulb of garlic? I have one source tell me ten, another more than twenty. TF
I don't think there are any hard and fast rule since they vary so much by size in both the cloves and the bulbs themselves. The one I have on hand right now has about 20.
 
Where can I find Goya products in the UK? FH
I couldn't come up with a specific source but I wonder if you have any Latin or Caribbean grocers nearby. If they don't carry Goya products perhaps they could order them for you.
 
What is the shelf life of salt - Kosher salt? Thanks. DS
I checked the Morton Salt website. Here's a quote: "Does salt expire? The salt itself does not expire but added ingredients such as iodine may reduce shelf life. The shelf life of Iodized Salt is about 5 years."
 
What's the lifetime of dried spices, such as Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, etc? I have tons of it that are probably as old as 9 years! I hate to throw it away. MM
The shelf life of herbs isn't as long as that of spices. You could rub some of the leaves between your fingers to see if they still have a pleasant aroma. Although you may find them aromatic, I think you would be shocked by the difference if you did the same with some very fresh herbs. Read more at "Storing Dried Herbs and Spices."
 
hi..I am trying a recipe for Hungarian Beef Stew. It calls for 1/4 teaspoon caraway seed. What would be a alternate for this? I have no idea! thank you, I
You could use dill, cumin or anise seeds instead. Caraway seeds are yummy, however, you might want to get some.
 
Can you tell me how much dried Paprika equals 1/4 Cup of fresh Paprika? KL
This is an uncommon comparison since dried paprika is a spice and fresh paprika would be a vegetable.
 
Hi, over a months ago I was given some mint and other herbs that my friend recommended for tea, I put them in my fridge and planned to make it as soon as I could but lost it and found it only know. Is there any possibility that it is still good or would it be long gone by now? Thank you! BS
Assuming you mean dried herbs they are still good unless you see mold growing on them. If they are fresh, you'll be able to tell by sight if they are in good condition.
 
Hi...I have a jar of chopped basil that is in preservatives. I opened it two months ago and keep it refrigerated...it is still safe to use...if so, about how long can I keep that in the refrigerator? Thanks JK
If the jar doesn't have an expiration date on it and you are wondering if it's still good, you might want to go ahead and get rid of it. That's a restaurant mantra--when in doubt, throw it out.
 
Can you tell me what is the shelf life of yellow mustard seeds and how can one tell if a mustard seed is past its prime? Thanks for all the information you provide on your site. L
Your welcome. Five years would probably be a good maximum for keeping mustard seeds around. You could check to see if it is viable by crushing and mixing with a little water. If you get flavor it will still be good but remember, it might be quite hot!
 
Hi. I have a lovely basil plant which I have nurtured for over three years. The plant is about a foot and a half tall and bushy, with - until recently - lots of great big green leaves and plenty of new growth sprouting from the thick woody lower stems. It sits in a pot on a sunny kitchen window ledge. This week half the entire plant seems to have gone limp - the previously bright, firm leaves are soft, drooping and falling off. The new growth from the wood has also faltered terribly in the same way. I think it has been overwatered as bizarrely there was enough excess to drain off - presumably something has blocked the pot. My question is, what else can I do to save basil? Or is it too late to do anything? And is this actually nothing to do with the excess water and instead a sign that basil is coming to the end of its life? Please help! Thank you. ATK
You might want to remove the plant from the pot and check the roots. Sounds like it might be a case of root rot. If the roots are a nice white color, repot the plant and cut back on watering then see what happens.
 
My grandmother left me a jar of home dried bay leaves, which I used up. They were bottled with a variety of other seeds, which gave the bay leaves a wonderful and long lasting aroma/flavor. I would like to find a similar recipe for the bay leaves. ie..which seeds might be bottled with them. Do you have any information on this subject?
Thank you. CH
Since this is a home brew, so to speak, it's hard to say what was included in the mixture unless you have some of the seeds left. If you do, check out the "Spice Photos Page" to see if maybe you can identify them by comparison.
 
Terrific site – especially for those of us who are newbies! Mom prudently and prophetically taught us to “waste not, want not.” I have saved the dill flower on the stem. I’ve not seen any reference to the stem being edible, inedible, OR toxic. Is there a good/wise reason to avoid using/eating the stem? Is it toxic? The Dill Stem is visually intriguing and fragrant. If I get the green light from you, I plan to diagonally cut the stems into small pieces and mix the pieces with the blooms/seeds. BB
Dill stems won't hurt you by any means but they may be rather unpalatable. I've noticed this is the case with basil stems (see the article "A Bounty of Basil: How to Preserve the Harvest" for more info). The best way to decide if you want to include them with your seeds is to give one a nibble.
 
What is the shelf life of store bought dried spices in containers? How long do the spices keep once the container/jar is opened? JL
Most seasonings have use-by dates on them these days. They don't really go bad, just lose potency. Whole spices keep longer than those that come already ground. Generally, whole spices last for 2 or 3 years while the ground versions should be used up in 6 to 9 months for maximum flavor.
 
Can you safely repackage prepared mustard and how long will it keep. I found a great prepared mustard that I can buy by the gallon and would like to share it with some friends over the holidays but want to make sure I can safely re-package it. Can I and if so any hints and/or instructions? Thanks. RT
Once opened, commercial mustards should be stored in the refrigerator to preserve the flavorful pungency. You could certainly re-package it into impeccably clean jars with a label that suggests they store it in the fridge.
 
I have a recipe that calls for 3/4 tsp. of dried cilantro. I want to substitute the cilantro with coriander. How do I figure out how much dried coriander to substitute for the cilantro. Thanks. MH
Whenever I make this substitution I like to chop the dried coriander into a small quantity of fresh parsley. In your case, I would use 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh parsley leaves.
 
I found that 2 Juniper berries converts to 1 tsp gin in a recipe. However, my recipe calls for 3 tablespoons whole berries. I don't know how big they are to know approx how many berries are in a tablespoon. I need to know how much gin to use for 3 tablespoons whole berries. thanks so much! LJG
I measured out 1 tablespoon of berries and counted more than 50 in varying sizes. According to the 2 berries to a teaspoon of gin method, this would work out to about 1/2 cup of gin. Three tablespoons whole juniper berries seems like a lot in any recipe. As you make this substitution I urge you to consider whether the whole berries make it all the way into the final dish or are removed (as if in a marinade, for instance) at some point; you might not want to use that much of a liquid flavoring.
 
Can you tell me what spice I may use in a recipe to substitute Mace? SS
Nutmeg is a suitable substitution for mace. Find out why by reading the articles "All About Nutmeg" and "All About Mace."
 
How much lemon extract do I use instead of lemon peel? SA
One teaspoon of extract will stand in for 2 teaspoons of zest.
 
Does anyone know an online resource for Chimole? Thanks P
From what I understand, chimole is a cooked chicken dish. I wonder if you are actually looking for the recardo that is a component of this dish? We have covered this subject on the "Where Can I Find?" page.
 
I recently purchased some ground mustard powder at a high quality Indian market and used it to make a sweet-hot honey mustard with eggs. Most of the recipes I reviewed were similar, but used Coleman's mustard powder. The resulting mustard (which was cooked and then refrigerated) is bitter and flat tasting after several days of refrigeration. It's inedible. Is there a significant difference between the Indian mustard powder and Coleman's? Does the bitterness improve with age? Most of the recipes indicated that the mustard could be used the following day. Not this one! Thank you for your help. AK
What most references call Indian mustard is the brown seed while Coleman's is the yellow, although technically called white seed. If you wanted to try the recipe again you might give the mustard a soak in the liquid ingredients for a couple of hours before cooking with the eggs. This would allow the enzymes time to develop thus creating a less bitter, more flavorful, mustard.
 
Where can I find Schilling country gravy mix? HA
You should be able to find it at most any supermarket but it will be labeled McCormick now, rather than Schilling.
 
Hi, I’ve noticed a lot of questions on your site asking about yellowing leaves on basil plants. My problem is not so much that the leaves are turning fully yellow, but that there are some leaves that have started to develop yellow spots on them. The spots seem to develop anywhere on the leaves – in clusters on the edge, or near the vine, etc. The plant still looks pretty healthy other than these spots. I’ve been checking the plant for any bugs, but can never seem to find any. What could be the problem? Thanks. ST
Rather than bugs, your basil may have some sort of a disease. It's hard to tell without seeing the plant. You might be able to head off the problem with a simple application of fertilizer; sometimes yellowing is a signal of a mineral deficiency.
 
Does anyone have the recipe from the anise extract box for “anise pillows”? I got it from the box approximately 29 years ago. Can you help? CS
I did a search for "anise pillow recipes" and came up with many versions. Perhaps if you browsed through a few of them you would find one that's familiar. Apparently these cookies are also called "Pfeffernusse."
 
Can you tell me how long I can freeze dried herbs and still use for dips, etc.? How long do packaged dip mixes last? DK
There is really no reason to freeze dried herbs. They are already preserved and freezing introduces unnecessary moisture. As for the packaged dips, it depends on the individual ingredients. If it's nothing but herbs and spices they will last for years but if there are things like powdered dairy products or something they should have an expiration date on the label.
 
What is grainy mustard? DH
This is a type of prepared mustard where the seeds are coarsely ground rather than worked into a smooth powder. It usually refers to a brown or Dijon-style mustard.
 
Recently, I saw a receipt that called for 1 blade of mace. How much is this in teaspoons? Thank you. CPG
That's a little complicated because mace blades are all different sizes. If you mean of ground mace, I think a good pinch would suffice. If you mean maybe crumbled blades, I would go with a quarter of a teaspoon or even a little less.
 
I live in California and my wife swears by the seasoning salt brand Teasoning. Where can I find it either in California or by mail? MG
I'm thinking they don't make it anymore. Apparently it came from the same company that made "Angel Dip" and no one seems to be able to get that either. See the "Where Can I Find Q&A Page" for the full discussion and possible leads.
 
Can you microwave garlic ? My husband is on the road a lot and cooks in his motel room. Can the microwave roast garlic ? Thank you very much. DB
You can buy little terra cotta garlic roasters (search our Mini-Mall) that can be used in the microwave. I've never tried one before and I suspect you might get a similar texture as oven roasting but it will come out more steamed or baked than roasted.
 
Can you tell me the equivalent conversion chart between cumin seed vs cumin powder? JC
I just ground up one teaspoon of cumin seeds and ended up with a heaping teaspoon of powder.
 
Gentlemen, I will be ever so grateful if you can solve my problem. I make a family recipe mustard, it has flour in it which makes it too thick for my taste, otherwise it is very good. Most mustards that I see have no flour, but still have a nice texture? I don't think the flour affects the flavor. To remove it will lessen the volume significantly? and maybe make it a lot stronger, although it's strong now. Please help thank you. JS
The only recipe that I have seen with flour is to make a mustard plaster for when you have a cold. Removing the flour from your recipe will reduce the volume. If you let mustard sit at room temperature while aging it will become more mellow. Depending on your taste, it could take a month or more.
 
Hello; I live in San Clemente, Ca and I've been using so much basil in my cooking lately that I decided to buy a plant. It's sweet basil and I've noticed the longer I have it the more curled up the leaves get....not to mention they're huge. It has a wonderful flavor. My question is this, if I keep pinching the plant back so that no flowers bloom will the basil stay this good or does it get bitter as the plant gets older? I've read about taking cuttings and rooting them to keep the same plant growing, but nothing about keeping the same plant. thank you and I really enjoyed reading your question and answers page, but I didn't see anything about this. JPH
Basil is an annual so the flowers signal your plant is nearing the end of its growth cycle, or life. You can prolong the lifespan by pinching off the flowers and it shouldn't get bitter but it will die off.
 
Hi, I have a beautiful potted Basil plant in my back yard, something is eating the leaves, I would like to bring it inside for the winter, What do I do? thanks, GG
It is helpful to bring it in through stages. Start by putting it into a warmer place like a garage or unheated room with good light for a couple of days before bringing it all the way indoors. Once inside, make sure it gets plenty of sun and resist the temptation to water it too much. Let the first couple of inches of soil dry out between waterings.
 
I have a bay tree and a laurel tree, what the difference, the bay leaf are about 6inch long, the laurel are about 10 inch long, can you use both in cooking? Please help. VAL
This is where it is important to know botanical names. Laurus nobilis is the culinary bay leaf, although Umbellularia californica bay laurel is considered by some to be similar in taste. Other laurels such as the one known as daphne, or mountain laurel and cherry laurel may be toxic if ingested. Be sure to identify both trees before using their leaves in the kitchen.
 
Making Hummus and I could only find a 15 oz can of tahini, no jars that I could screw back the top, anyway, once I have opened this can, do I have to refrigerate the tahini or just put it on the shelf? What is the shelf life as there is no date on these cans, I looked through them all. I use only 1/4 of a can at a time, last time I threw the whole can after I used it, such a waste. Please tell me how to store after opening. Thank you. SD
I would transfer the tahini to a glass jar or plastic container and store it in the refrigerator for no more than six weeks. It is easier to work with if you bring it to room temperature before using. Check out our recipe for Tahini Ice Cream for help in using it up!
 
I have two bay laurel plants in pots that I bring indoors in the winter. One of them is covered in honeydew, and the backs of the older leaves have many 3-4 mm oval things on them. Are these aphids? Or aphid eggs? None of them move-they seem to be stuck in the honeydew. I am wondering if I should discard this plant, to prevent my other plants from becoming infested. MB
I suggest you do an image search on Google to see if aphids look like your pest. If they are aphids, you can probably get rid of them by spraying the affected areas with a strong stream of water. You might want to do this several times before bringing it indoors.
 
Hi, I have a question about my Thai Basil plant. It appears very lush and healthy; the leaves are nice and green, no holes, no bugs etc. The stems started to look a little strange though, the bottom several inches are woody and reddish, which swirls into a not as woody yellowish color section for the next next couple inches, then it goes back to woody reddish brown to the top of the plant. Is the yellowish part new growth or a disease or indication of something wrong with the plant? Thanks! JN
Basil plants will become a bit woody when they are getting older. Unless the yellow section is soft and mushy, I wouldn't worry too much, especially since the plant seems to be thriving.
 
My Boyfriend and I made green chili and he put like 4 cloves of fresh garlic in. The green chili came out really bitter. Could that be from the garlic? Maybe we should cook the garlic next time? Was the garlic not fresh perhaps? Or is there perhaps some other reason that it tasted so bitter? AH
Garlic will turn bitter if it is cooked too long and burns but since you used it raw I would say maybe it is old. Could it have been some other ingredient?
 
I am finding this slimey stuff on the underside of the basil leaves, it is gross. Do you have any idea what is causing this? GMG
It is likely the tell-tale sign that slugs or snails are visiting your plant during the night.
 
What is in a pickling spice bag? MH
Ingredients vary by manufacturer but they usually contain mustard seeds, cloves, peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves. Others may include different spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, coriander or chiles. The seasonings are often whole or in coarse pieces.
 

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