The Top Ten Foodservice Questions About Herbs and Spices

Spices and herbs will vary in their shelf life. (see below) Freezing will prevent spoilage but will not eliminate the element that destroys flavor: Oxygen.

• The volatile or essential oil from a spice should be aromatic when the cap is removed. If not it is best to replace the spice or herb.
• Store spices away from a kitchen range or other high heat source.
• Store away from high humidity areas like the dishmachine, refrigerator, freezer or steamer.
• Spices that are primarily seeds and berries, properly stored, may last 2 to 3 years, if the container is always tightly closed after use.
• Ground spices and leafy herbs are more fragile, when stored properly the flavor will be evident for about 6 months to one year.

2. What is MSG and what does it do? Is it considered safe to eat?

Monosodium Glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. Glutamic is one of the most common amino acids found in nature. Glutamate acid is found in foods like mushrooms, tomatoes, meat and cheeses; foods that have long been prized for their flavor. Some people may have adverse reactions to MSG. This ingredient has been safely used as a food ingredient for more than 80 years. Extensive research shows MSG is safe for all humans including infants and pregnant women. Most spices and herbs contain no MSG and seasoning blends without MSG are identified on the label.

3. What is the equivalent of dried herbs and vegetable to fresh herbs and vegetables?

Dried herbs are a convenient and consistent way to season foods.

		Fresh		Dried
Basil		1 Tbsp.		1 tsp.
Cilantro		1 Tbsp.		1 tsp.
Onion, Granulated & Powder		1/3 cup		2 tsp.
Garlic, Granulated & Powder		1 Tbsp.		3/4 tsp.
Garlic, clove		1 clove		1/8 tsp.
Parsley		1 Tbsp.		1 tsp.

4. How much fat is in the Tone's/Durkee Chicken and Brown Gravy Mix?

Heart-Loc® Chicken and Brown Gravy mixes are low in fat. A one-fourth cup serving has less than one-half gram of fat per serving. Using Heart-Loc® Chicken or Brown Gravy mix will offer a rich flavor without excessive calories and fat.

5. Do spices and herbs contain sodium?

Yes, most foods contain some naturally occurring sodium. However, most spices and herbs have less than five mg. of sodium per serving. Most people will consume about 2400 to 3000 mg. of sodium in one day. If you want to reduce your sodium intake and increase the flavor in foods, experiment and add more herbs and spices to your meals.

6. What is the difference between Tone's/Durkee Pure Vanilla and Imitation Vanilla?

Pure Vanilla Extract is made from the extract of vanilla beans and a small amount of corn syrup to help maintain clarity and stabilize the product. It is best added to frostings or other items that are not baked because the flavor will be reduced with the addition of heat. The flavor in imitation vanilla comes from vanillin; this product is very popular because the flavor will not cook out during baking or when added to hot liquid.

7. If our Foodservice wants to begin adding more herbs and spices to our foods, how much should we use?

The proper amount will depend on the product and the spice or herb. Begin by adding about one teaspoon per 12 servings. This is a minimal amount and more can be added if additional flavor is desired.

8. If our Foodservice is trying to avoid concentrated sweets, what spices could we use to provide additional flavor to fruits and desserts?

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and vanilla are all excellent for enhancing the aroma and taste of food. Begin by adding 1 teaspoon per twelve servings and adjust if desired. Try these spices with apples, bananas, fresh fruit, ginger bread, cobblers and warm beverages.

9. Does Tone's/Durkee irradiate spices?

No spices are irradiated at Tone's/Durkee Foodservice. Irradiation has been approved by FDA for use with spices, but Tone's/Durkee chooses to use traditional cleaning methods with our spices.

10. Our school likes the convenience of using Presti's® Spaghetti Seasoning and Presti's® Pizza Seasoning. How much should we use?

Presti's® authentic Italian Seasonings make it easy to create spaghetti and pizza. For spaghetti sauce use about 2 cups for about 7 1/2 gallons of sauce. When making Pizza Presti's® can be added to tomato sauce or it can be sprinkled on the top of prepared pizza. Use two tablespoons per pizza to prepare regular or spicy pizza. When using Presti's® for hearth baked (Southwestern, Greek, Island and Classic Italian) pizza use about 1 tablespoon per pizza. Some guidelines for adjusting the amount of spices and herbs in a recipe when trying to increase the number of servings.

1. Black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, curry powder, chili powder, allspice and cloves can usually be increased proportionally, (double the recipe, double the spice or blend of spices.) This should be done very carefully by weight, not measure.
2. Herbs are best increased by this simple formula. For the first 100 percent increase in the number of portions the herbs can also be doubled. After that, for each multiple of the original recipe add only half the original amount.
3. Remember red hot pepper builds up in recipes. For the first doubling of the recipe the red pepper can still be doubled. But after that use only 1/4 the original amount of pepper for each multiple of the original recipe.

Most importantly, test the recipe and adjust accordingly.