Fresh herbs and whole, grated spices add the most flavors to a dish.

It is best to store your herbs and spices in a cool dark place to help keep them fresh.  So storing them in a drawer or cupboard is the ideal location.  Herbs and spices don’t spoil, but they do loose their potency with age and seeds will go rancid.  You can store whole herbs and spices for about a year and dried and ground herbs and spices are best used within six months.

As a general rule, one teaspoon of dried herbs can replace one tablespoon chopped fresh herb.

The following is a list of basic Herbs and Spices you need to have on hand in the kitchen to be prepared for any recipe that you may want to make:

• Allspice, ground-desserts, fruitcakes, pies, relishes, sausages, preserves
   

• Basil, dried- stews, sauces, sausages, dressings, salads
   

• Bay leaves- soups, stews, pickling spice (remove before serving)
   

• Cayenne pepper- any dish you want to add a touch of heat to w/o the vinegar of a hot sauce
   

• Chili powder- eggs, shellfish, vegetables, chili, Mexican-type foods
   

• Chives- not recommended dried- no flavor at all
   

• Cilantro- not recommended dried- looses its flavor
   

• Cinnamon, ground- cakes, breads, buns, cookies, pies, ethnic dishes
   

• Cloves, ground and whole- chocolate pudding, fruitcakes, desserts
   

• Coriander, ground- sausages, Latin American dishes
   

• Cumin, ground- meats, pickles, cheese, sausages, chutney, soups, ethnic dishes
   

• Dill, weed and seed- soups, salads, seafood, vegetables, vinegars
   

• Extracts- vanilla, almond- most baked goods, pancakes, waffles
   

• Garlic powder- meats, soups, stews, marinades, sauces, sausage
   

• Ginger, ground- gingerbread, pies, cookies, pickles, puddings, Oriental dishes
   

• Horseradish- horseradish sauce, cocktail sauce, mustards
   

• Hot sauce- (has a vinegar base) BBQ sauce, chili
   

• Marjoram, dried- vegetables, meat, cheese, stuffing, soups, sauces
   

• Mint, dried- candies, sauces, salad dressing, vinegars, tea
   

• Mustard, powder- mayo based salads, cheese sauces, curries
   

• Nutmeg- cakes, cookies, sausages, soups, preserves, eggnog, puddings, fruit pies
   

• Onion powder- soups, stews, meats, marinades, salad dressings, sauces
   

• Oregano, dried- tomato dishes, omelets, tomato juice, gravies, stews, lamb
   

• Paprika, Hungarian sweet- cheese, eggs, potatoes, light sauces
   

• Parsley- soups, salads, fish, meats, sauces, vegetables, potatoes
   

• Pepper, black ground and peppercorns- meats, soups, fish, eggs, salads, sauces, gravies, vegetables
   

• Pepper, dried red flakes- sausages, meats, spaghetti, pizza
   

• Rosemary, ground (dried never softens in a dish)- lamb dishes, stews, soups, potatoes, vegetables
   

• Sage, dried- sausages, salads, pickles, cheese, poultry seasoning
   

• Salt, iodized table and Kosher- most recipes, Kosher used as a roast meat crust
   

• Sesame seeds- rolls, breads, crackers, Oriental dishes, candy
   

• Tarragon, dried- salads, meats, stews, fish, Bearnaise sauce, vegetables
   

• Thyme, ground and dried- cheeses, seafood chowders, sausages, meats, poultry, tomatoes
   

• Turmeric- curries, pickles, Indian dishes, mustards, food coloring in processed foods
   

• Other items you may randomly need:

Chinese Five-spice powder, capers, Chipotle/Ancho pepper, cinnamon sticks, Curry powder, extracts- orange, lemon, peppermint & maple,  Fennel seeds, gelatin- unflavored, Hoisin sauce, lemon pepper, pine nuts, poppy seeds, Romano cheese, white pepper

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