Spices are an essential component of Indian cuisine and Indian kitchens that no home cook can do away with. There’s a treasure trove of spices and condiments in every Indian household, which layer our food with aroma and taste and transport a simple dish to a state of luxury. Spices also have multiple health benefits and are frequently used to ward off colds, coughs, and other seasonal infections.
During monsoons, it is important to take extra care of these potent ingredients because, as the weather turns humid and wet, food starts attracting moisture in the damp climes. Spices like cloves and peppers can get clumped because of this seasonal change, and others like cinnamon sticks or star anise, if kept out for long, might lose out on their intense flavour and fragrance and can contract bacteria and harmful fungi.
To ensure that spices retain their umami and flavorful qualities, it is important to store them just right. Only then will the biryani achieve its perfect taste, and the warm kheers sprinkled with cardamom powder will bestow upon their gobblers health and good immunity. Here are a few handy tips to make sure your spices remain fresh all through the gloom of the rainy weather:
Store In Airtight Containers
One of the most basic hacks to keep spices safe from moisture and dampness is to store them in airtight containers. Store each assorted spice separately in an airtight jar to ensure lasting freshness. To make sure the spices stay crisp and aromatic, keep the lids tightly closed to prevent excess moisture from entering the jars. Repeat this step after every use.
Dry Roast Before Storing
This is a particularly handy tip for storing cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, and coriander seeds. Lightly roast spices on a low flame in a nonstick pan so that they are rid of any excess moisture before storing them in airtight containers. This neat trick also enhances the aroma of the spices and brings out their intense flavour.
Keep Away From Direct Heat
Most times, the ingredients used frequently in the kitchen are kept closest to the stove. But with spices, it is important to take additional care and store them away from direct heat. The spice stash will lose out on its essential aroma if it is too close to the heat because of the increased temperature and already humid air. So it is better to keep spices in a cool, dry kitchen cabinet and retrieve them when necessary.
Put Cloves In Powdered Spices
Another handy hack is to put a few blades of cloves in both whole and ground spices. Monsoons mean an increased number of insects and bugs in the kitchen, and cloves help to ward them off. Put a few blades of clove at the base of the container, and their latent aroma will be enough to keep every spice safe. Raw grains of rice can also be added to the containers, which do a splendid job of absorbing excess moisture.
Use Dry Spoons
This might seem too simplistic, but often, in the heat of cooking, it might happen that a damp spoon is inserted into powdered spices to add them to a pan. Avoid this to make sure the container remains dry; otherwise, the red chilli or cinnamon powders can form clumps and lose out on their structural integrity. This is especially important during monsoons, and an easier way is to have a spoon dedicated to each spice that stays in the container.