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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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|
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.
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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."
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|
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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|
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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|
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.
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|
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.
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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.
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|
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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How much lemon extract do I use
instead of lemon peel? SA |
One teaspoon of extract will
stand in for 2 teaspoons of zest.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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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