Noob Recipe Ingredients Question


 
R

R Lin

New member
Bearing in mind that I have always bought my dry rubs over the internet in the past and I am a totaly only 2 smokes under my belt on a real Smoker noob, I have a question regarding the ingredients that I am reading about here on this board. Things like ground Ancho Powder, ground Cumin, crushed Green Peppercorns, celery seed, etc. Can these spices be found at my local grocery store in the baking aisle with all the other spices? Or are these Fresh Spices and taken care of in another way prior to adding them to a dry rub? Looking forward to your replies as I am going to be making a home made dry rub this Weekend for my 5 yr. old thanks to K Kruger
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Welcome R,

Yes, you can purchase many of the spices and herbs at your local grocery. However, buyer beware! What you buy from the large spice merchants (I'm referring to the McCormick types)may very well be old product that's lost it's flavor. Many on this board purchase online from reputable vendors such as Penzey's. If your location has a Whole Foods or similar, I highly recommend checking out that option. I'm fortunate to have a number of vendors who sell a wide variety of herbs and spices in bulk. I can purchase as little or as much as I want. Purchasing in smaller quantities helps ensure the spice won't get too old before using. Storage is generally easy; keep in a cool dark environment until use. Peppercorns, seeds and whole leaves, etc. can be ground down prior to use. Seeds can be toasted immediately before using to release their aromatic oils. Dried peppers such as Ancho can be ground very easily. If you don't have one already, I encourage you to purchase an inexpensive electric coffee grinder; perfect for grinding your spices. Do a little searching on this board and you'll find a lot of threads discussing this topic.

Paul
 
Thanks for the reply Paul. I do have an electric Burr Grinder (yup, I'm also a Home roasting Coffee *****) and I also have a Whole foods not 15 minutes from my house. Looks like a small road trip is in order tomorrow evening to try and find all the ingredients for Kruger's dry rub recipe. Thanks for the reply Paul. :)
 
Burr grinders aren't always a good choice for spices, and almost never work for herbs. I'd suggest getting an inexpensive blade grinder for your spices/herbs.
 
I will second what Kruger said, you can get a white Mr Coffee for like 15$ at target. Try to buy the whole seeds as much as possible and grind them as you need them.

Grind a few teaspoons of black peppercorns and compare the smell to pre-ground black pepper and you will see why it's worth the effort.
 
Oh and if you do get a blade grinder and you grind your own spices, a good way to clean the hard to reach corners it to throw a few teaspoons of dry white rice in there and turn them to dust.Let it do the work for you!
 
I also try to buy my spices in the smallest amounts I know I'll need. Spices don't go "bad" but they lose a lot of their flavor if they aren't used within 6 months.
 
What everyone said above. Only thing I would add is not mentioned often, probably because it should be intuitive, but it wasn't for me back when I first started using a blade grinder years ago.

Physically shake the grinder while it's running and you get a more even grind, and it will work faster as well.
 
Originally posted by r benash:
What everyone said above. Only thing I would add is not mentioned often, probably because it should be intuitive, but it wasn't for me back when I first started using a blade grinder years ago.

Physically shake the grinder while it's running and you get a more even grind, and it will work faster as well.
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As well, stopping it a few times and shaking it will decrease the chance for heat build-up. Some spices are especially sensitive and can go bitter.
 
Originally posted by Nathan Bauer:
Where do you get your coffee beans from? I've always wanted to try roasting my own.
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All of my Green Beans come from Sweet Marias and The Captains Cofee. Both are online Merchants.
 
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