# Ancillary Food Prep aka Spices?



## SmokeyNJ (Jun 12, 2013)

Maybe there is a thread somewhere buried here (sorry if there is don't mean to hijack)

So the question is: What do you also bulk store to season or cure your long term food prep?


I mean, we all (or some/most) have pounds upon pounds of dried beans and rice, canned vegetables, dried/dehydrated meats, cans of anything we can get to put on the shelves and so on....

But, when you have to get to the point of eating it.... 
What are you going to make it taste good?

Look at the varied menus of MREs, it so that little bit of food you have tastes good, reminds you of something you like, something you WANT to eat (not just need to eat) 
History points out many basic philosophies on this subject:
"...An army marches on it's stomach..."
Spices were used and treasured and fought over to add a palatability to foods that may not have been the most "yummy". Many modern versions we used daily are actually descended from ancient recipes used to preserve, cure, mask, and flavor of less palatable, even spoiled foodstuffs.
"Food is a force multiplier"

So, I like to have bulk spices on hand at all times.

Garlic powder ( just not always the best on the real 'gamey' types of wild game)
Onion powder
Chili powder
Dried chilies
Black pepper
Curry powders various types ( Garam masala, Cholle, etc...)
Cumin
Dried onion 
Dried garlic slices
Celery salt

And of course ...salt and sugar

So what do you all like always have handy?


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## kilagal (Nov 8, 2011)

I do not see cinnamon anywhere. And we like it with rice. 
Dill and celery seeds. The reason is that they can be used as a salt substitute if need be. And as far as the dill it is super easy to grow and get seeds from if need be. Plus it makes good pickles.
My dh loves pickled beets and i use mixed pickling spices in those. 
Also I have probably 12 different kinds of boullion cubes. I do use a lot of spices in cooking. At one time I couldn't have salt. So I started really using spices instead. It really did help over feeling sorry for myself about what I couldn't have. So I do have almost all the spices and a lot of them. I am now thinking of getting small containers of the most important ones to put in the camper. 
My dh's favorite is dried and then ground habinarro peppers.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I mean, we all (or some/most) have pounds upon pounds of dried beans and rice, canned vegetables, dried/dehydrated meats, cans of anything we can get to put on the shelves and so on....

But, when you have to get to the point of eating it.... 
What are you going to make it taste good?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't have to do anything to make beans taste good--they just are; at this house we love our pinto and white beans.
For rice(we have 700 lbs.), I am dehydrating green pepper, zucchini, cabbage, onions, and carrots for stir fry with sweet and sour sauce(which I have stored ingredients and make my own, better than the store bought).

I also am dehydrating most all ingredients for vegetable/beef soup. So far, lima beans, onions, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage.

I have one of these I paid $3 at a yard sale: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/41853-over-the-door-24-pocket-canvas-shoe-organizer.html holding my spices.

Turmeric, ginger, cream of tartar, mustard seed, nutmeg, parsley, cloves, allspice, celery seed, cayenne...you might need these some day.
I hope we all have lots of vinegar, white and apple cider.


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

We keep a fully stocked kitchen for ours. Granted, we love all types of food and both work in the restaurant industry. Some I personally love to have on hand:
-Powdered/granulated garlic (salt free)
-Taco seasoning
-Curry paste (we keep some green, red, and yellow on hand)
-Cinnamon, nutmeg, etc
-Buillion


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

SmokeyNJ said:


> Maybe there is a thread somewhere buried here (sorry if there is don't mean to hijack)
> 
> So the question is: What do you also bulk store to season or cure your long term food prep?
> 
> ...


We have garlic and onion growing yearly, but we also buy a lot seasoning in bulk, and then pack it into mylar bags with O2 absorbers. Stuff like granulated garlic, onion, cinnamon, black and red pepper, ginger, etc. , we buy in 5 pound bulk. We also buy Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning in 7 pound containers and we keep enough on hand to keep four cajuns eating good for a couple of years (or 50 average yankee's for 10 years).


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## libprepper (Aug 8, 2013)

What others have said. Lots of whole spice seeds/pods, pretty much anything I could find "whole" and dried at Winco Foods. Don't forget whole pepper-corn types (white/black...). Lots of good quality real vanilla. We also have local Asian Food and Mexican Groceries. Picked up lots of chili pod varieties, a number of curry spice types. All stored in Mylar / 02. Depending on how you feel about it MSG is always an option for flavor enhancement. Brown gravy mix for all those dehydrated spuds. Want to be able to spice up all that stored bulk to something close to tasty.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

And don't forget the wild or unusual seasonings, for example: coltsfoot to make a salty flavor, wood ashes (yep wood ashes) Ramps, wild garlic, wild onions, spice bush, Sassafras, Garlic Mustard and many, many more. I get some of my info and ideas from the book "Native Harvests" by Barrie Kavasac


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Thai chile sauce called Sambal Olek. Half a teaspoon will flavor a bowl of rice and a little goes a long way in a pot of beans.

A canned ham will flavor a large pot of beans also.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, sage, chives, cinnamon, sugar, just about any spice u can get your hands on! I vacuum seal in jars. Plus, getting them at the Amish store, I know they are organic and a pound is usually just a couple of bucks.


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

dixiemama said:


> Salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, sage, chives, cinnamon, sugar, just about any spice u can get your hands on! I vacuum seal in jars. Plus, getting them at the Amish store, I know they are organic and a pound is usually just a couple of bucks.


There is an Amish store about an hour's drive from my house; I'm hoping to get over there between now and the holidays. Great prices on spices, white wheat, flour, and soup mixes. This store also carries the best store-bought dish rags ever, and they're reasonably priced.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

Salt (preserving/curing and for basic seasoning)
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Parsley
Thyme
Rosemary 
Sage 
Held back on putting those in lyric order  
Oregano
Basil 
Dill
Paprika 
Chili powder 
Bullion (chicken and beef) 
Ginger
Cinnamon 
Sugar


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

ras1219como said:


> Parsley
> Thyme
> Rosemary
> Sage
> Held back on putting those in lyric order


I can't help it, and do it every time.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

ksmama10 said:


> There is an Amish store about an hour's drive from my house; I'm hoping to get over there between now and the holidays. Great prices on spices, white wheat, flour, and soup mixes. This store also carries the best store-bought dish rags ever, and they're reasonably priced.


Here they have those huge serving spoons --I bought 5 and gave 2 to my friend.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I hope to collect all perennial spices & herbs that grow here in Southern North America.
As well as seeds for planting all annual herbs that we use, to grow in the spring.
Culinary herbs,Medical herbs & wild herbs for both.
The first difference in herbs & spices is that in general the leaf is a culinary herb & the other parts are call a spice. Most spices are used in their dry form, but some other plant parts are whole &/or green are called herbs.
I will not store more the a few oz. of any herb that I can grow, annuals will be dried each spring for the winter.
This saves space for more rice,corn,wheat,beans & other dried foods.
This is a list of herbs & spices that I can not grow:
ALLSPICE:berry from tropical tree.
AMCHUR:from green tropical mango tree.
ANNATTO seed: Tropical tree.
BLACK LIMES & ****** (leaf): from a Citrus tree/sub tropical.
CANDLE NUT: Hard shell nut from tropical tree.
CAPER buds & seed pods: from tropical bush. NOTE: Nasturtium plant/flower is edible, green seed pods can be pickled to replace Capers.
CARDOMON: green & brown from a tropical tree.
CINNAMON & CASSIA: from tropical tree.Ground Cinnamon is better then cinnamon sticks.
CLOVES bud: from tropical tree.
CURRY leaf: from tropical tree.
GALANGAL,GINGER,TURMERIC,GRAIN OF PARADISE,ZEDOARY: are all in the Ginger family & can be grown in zone 10 without a greenhouse.
KOKAM: tropical plant.
LEMON GRASS: can grew out side in summer, remove a plug with roots, to pot up keep on widow seal till spring.
LEMON MYRTLE: tropical plant.
LEMON VERBENA:zone 9&10. 
MYRTLE leaf: plant hardy to zone 8.
NUTMEG & MACE: tropical plant.
OLIDA: tropical tree.
PEPPER-PINK SCHINUS: in zone 10.
SICHUAN PEPPER: zone 8.
BLACK,WHITE & GREEN PEPPER:tropical vine, need greenhouse.
STAR ANISE:tropical plant.
TAMARIND: India tropical tree.
WATTLE seeds: Tropical tree.
SALT: not a spice or herb, but a season.
No, I do not nor will I store all of these. The list is spices & herbs that I can not grow, so I must store them or do with out.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I wouldn't even try to list all the wild and tame herbs that the S.O grows/collects
We cook heavy on the herbs, and "spicy", lots of garlic, onions, chives. Tons of dill, hot peppers, and a bit of spicy horseradish.
For flavour itself other things like certain mushrooms (morels for example:droolie, good homemade stock, and quality food itself can make spices less necessary.
As a result we don't really buy and stock any of those things. There are a few spices that we can't/don't grow that I really like though such as cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, would be a shame to not have those but certainly could do without.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

We dry jalapeños & store lots of other hot/strong seasonings, I figure they'll be needed to cover the taste of some meats we're not used to eating. We store the good vanilla & nestle quik to use in making the powdered milk taste good. I LOVE turmeric. Cocoa stores forever.


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## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

k0xxx said:


> We have garlic and onion growing yearly, but we also buy a lot seasoning in bulk, and then pack it into mylar bags with O2 absorbers. Stuff like granulated garlic, onion, cinnamon, black and red pepper, ginger, etc. , we buy in 5 pound bulk. We also buy Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning in 7 pound containers and we keep enough on hand to keep four cajuns eating good for a couple of years (or 50 average yankee's for 10 years).


k0xxx,

You must be slowing down in your old age. It is 1 cajun years food=500 yankee's years food not the 4 cajuns you suggested.

Maybe you were the product of a public school education and you were taught that "new math". I forgive you.

Tugs


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## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

masterspark said:


> I'm offended by the 'Yankee' reference. This shows a total lack of respect. We did, after all, win the war of the Northern Agression. You shall respectfully refer to us as 'Damn Yankees' !!


Duely noted and recorded.

I are living up north now and damn is a good word.

Tugs


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

camo2460 said:


> And don't forget the wild or unusual seasonings, for example: coltsfoot to make a salty flavor, wood ashes (yep wood ashes) Ramps, wild garlic, wild onions, spice bush, Sassafras, Garlic Mustard and many, many more. I get some of my info and ideas from the book "Native Harvests" by Barrie Kavasac


I have wild garlic if anyone wants some, does anyone know a good place to order Ramps from for Fall planting.


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Why store all the herbs you can grow? 

Sage, rosemary, and thyme as well as winter savory, oregano, lavender, salad burnet, and bronze fennel are perennials here. Parsley is a biennial and easy to freeze or dry for winter use. The mints come back without help. Lemon balm reseeds itself. Lemon grass comes inside for the winter. Basils, if given an opportunity will reseed themselves. If I were desperate for black pepper flavor (I store whole peppercorns.), there is the peppergrass weed all around. We also have beefsteak plant, a version of shiso or perilla, which is a locally abundant plant. There's a patch of wild garlic in my yard. There are sassafras trees out back if I want to make filé gumbo. I do have a potted bay laurel tree which overwinters in the garage.

Allow me to suggest mixing one's own Italian herb seasoning from homegrown plant parts. Chili powder can be made from one's own peppers. When the annual cilantro bolts (goes to seed) those seed when dried can be ground into coriander.
Culinary ginger from the grocery store can be grown in a pot.

Going on with this, there are many possibilities for herb teas growing in the yard. Some may be used medicinally, but we just enjoy their flavors.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

gam46 said:


> Why store all the herbs you can grow? ... Going on with this, there are many possibilities for herb teas growing in the yard.


Thanks! I'm battling some soil & insect issues... but what you posted is good stuff and what I'm striving for!

gam46
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 62

^Doesn't say much very often, but when gam46 speaks, listen up because it's good info!


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