Penzeys, The Best Spices for Cooking
The quality of the spices you use in your cooking matters. Old stale spices that have been sitting in your cupboard will result in the dish you cook today not tasting as good as when they were new and fresh. Make sure you are using quality brands like this one. Herbs and spices are meant to enhance your cooking!
As a professional chef and enthusiastic eater at home, I consider Penzeys to be the best spices for cooking, hands down. I always stock my house with their products as well as purchase them for all my clients. If you don’t live near one of their stores, you can order them online.
If you do a lot of cooking at home it is likely that your spice cabinet is jam-packed like mine. Every couple of months I rearrange some of the jars and put ones I haven't been using towards the back and bring others to the front. Most of the time I have to move things around because I come home with a new jar (more like jars, plural) and have to find room for them.
Penzeys Spices are my choice for Cooking
My favorite place to get spices and herbs is Penzeys Spices in Menlo Park, CA. And you can order from them online if you don't have a store near you.
I first heard of Penzeys when I used to go to my friend's house back in Pennsylvania. When we would cook together I would pull out this huge box of herbs and spices from her cabinet and go through all the bags and jars. Back then I had no idea of what they all were, or how to use them, but I was in awe of her collection. Then I moved to New York City to attend culinary school and found the Penzeys kiosk inside Grand Central Station. I felt like I had found mecca and went back frequently to build up my spice collection.
Penzeys is known for high quality and fresh products. They have whole and ground spices, herbs, blends, salts and liquid extracts. Each item has different size packages to choose from as well as a display jar that you can OPEN AND SMELL!!! This is the best part of going into the store. How do you know what it is going to taste like if you can't smell it?!
Their pre-made blends are really helpful if you want more depth in a dish, but are not sure which spices would go well together. They have so much more than just curry or taco mixes. There is a small-town feel to this store even though they started in Milwaukee and have stores all over the country. I am thankful that out of only 2 stores that exist in California, that I happen to be less than 10 miles from this one.
Penzey's has tons of recipes on their website that have been submitted by their loyal customers. The recipes show up on each spice's page so you can get ideas for how to use them. One of my favorite blends to always have around is the Fox Point blend. I love it on scrambled eggs. There is a recipe on their website showing it on baked salmon, which sounds good too.
Why Quality Matters
The freshness and potency in spices comes from their oils. Freshly ground spices means they still have their oils intact, resulting in bright and robust flavors. Old spices that have gone stale, or have been sitting over a heat source, are dull and bitter. Low-quality and cheap spices can also include fillers, artificial colors or the husks of the plant.
Whole spices that you grind yourself will always have the most flavor and freshness, but ground versions from trusted sources can still be just as good, and easier to use. Pre-ground is much more convenient and have a consistent flavor as well. If you want to grind spices yourself, you can purchase them in bulk and grind using a coffee bean grinder like this.
How To Tell if your Spices are Old or Stale
If you can’t remember when you purchased the spice, chances are it’s pretty old.
Is it a seasonal flavor? The pumpkin spice, cinnamon and nutmeg are used most in the Fall, so it might have been a year since you took them out. If you didn’t purchase them last season, then they might be over a year old. If they were stored in a cool, dry place, that might still be ok.
Open the container and give it a smell. If the smell is really faint, it might be time for a new bottle.
Check the color. A fresh spice should have a bright color like with paprika. It should be a vibrant red. Old or poor quality paprika will be darker and duller.
How to Store Your Spices
Always store your spices in airtight containers in a cool, dark and dry place. This means NOT over your stove. Most kitchens are set up in a way to place oils and spices near the stove, which makes it easier to grab them when you are cooking. So I understand why everyone places them there. But the heat from your oven and stove will age your spices faster than if you place them away.
My spices are located in a cabinet across the kitchen from the stove, away from any heat source. This is probably where other people would store their glasses and mugs. Finding a spot in your kitchen away from the stove will make your spices last longer and taste better, I promise.
Recipes
These Curried Cauliflower Fritters contain the a mix of cumin powder, turmeric powder and curry powder. I like to use Penzeys Sweet Curry Blend for the curry powder. Although, if I am making these for myself and not for a family with kids, I use the spicier curry blend.
This Vegetarian Quinoa Paella is a great recipe for spices, it contains saffron, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne.
My homemade Enchilada Sauce is a great recipe to use whole, dried ancho and guajillo chilis, which you can get at Penzeys.
I have a few recipes that use turmeric like this Golden Cauliflower Soup and Golden Turmeric Milk. My preference is that you cook with fresh turmeric because of the healing properties, but powdered turmeric is a good, more convenient version to have on hand. I try to get my turmeric from Penzeys or Simply Organic.
Penzey's Motto:
"Love to cook - cook to love"
