Buying whole spices instead of pre-ground means they have longer shelf lives and stronger flavour. But, that also means you have to do the grinding yourself. These measurements make it easy to convert your whole spices into just how much you need when ground, and convert your ground spices to whole spice amounts.
Image from missy-and-the-universe.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/08/get-more-from-your-spice-blends-with-these-four-simple-tips/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/1352144877105795498.jpg” title=”Get More From Your Spice Blends With These Four Simple Tips” excerpt=”Making your own spice mixes is easy, and it’s cheaper than buying pre-mixed blends with who-knows-what in them. Follow these four simple tips to create any delicious spice blend you want.”]
If you’re grating large spices, like nutmeg, measuring them out in advance is difficult .But spices you throw in the grinder, like whole black pepper, cardamom and coriander seeds and pods, are easier to measure beforehand. Food52 has the conversions you should use:
Allspice: 1 teaspoon allspice berries = 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Black pepper: 1 teaspoon peppercorns = 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
Cardamom: Approximately 12 pods, dehusked = 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Cinnamon: One 1 1/2-inch (4-centimeter) stick = 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
Coriander: 1 teaspoon coriander seeds = 1 1 /4 teaspoons ground coriander
Cumin: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds = 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
Fennel: 1 teaspoon fennel seeds = 1 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
Nutmeg: 1/2 nutmeg = 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon mustard seeds = 1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
By measuring beforehand, you’ll be able to toss the freshly ground spices straight into your dish with confidence, and you won’t have a ton left over. Also, the spices you store will still be whole, locking in their flavour until you want to use them.
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