View Full Version : What spices & condements?
Looking for suggestions as to what to carry with you and how you carry it. I'm betting tabasco sauce is a favourite, but something I discovered recently, was freeze dried whole ginger root. This stuff is great to "hot up" a curry or stir fry and adds loads of flavour. It keeps for just about ever, all you do is shave off a little with yer knife and crumble in yer fingers. No messy powders, easy to cary.
Any more suggestions?
I love spicy food, but what is the most worthwhile carry-along?
well not spices per se, but a couple of the most inconvenient things to store/carry: milk and fat. i still don't use milk when out and about, i drink coffee black in the field. but i have found that anchor spreadable can be persuaded to go into one of those re-useable tube things you can get in some camping shops. so i can start using some of those old timey recipes from camping and woodcraft and the like. i can also treat meself to fried eggs! much better than the kilo of mushed lard infesting everything in me ruck!
cheers, and.
bigjackbrass
07-02-2004, 20:23
Tony Cachere's Cajun Seasoning, which I think I've mentioned before (stop me if I'm obsessing), is fabulous. Use it like salt, but it has tons of flavour and in greater quantity adds quite a bit of fire to bland dishes.
Thanks Jack, I'll look out for it. About milk, I suppose most ppl carry powdered milk or none, but I heard a woman at work saying she only uses condensed milk inher coffee. I said doesnt it get expensive, opening a tin all the time, she says no, because she uses the stuff you get in a tube from tescos, which lasts for months. :idea: Got to try that out. 8-)
How do you carry your spices and such? Zip-lock bags?
film canisters!
though truth be known i just rob sachets of salt, pepper, sugar and coffee from every cafe, restaurant or hotel i visit :oops: only one or two at a time obviously...
cheers, and.
film canisters!
I have my coffee pre-mixed in these (and I'm not getting into a debate about it being dangerous to my health! :-) )
You can fit a tsp of coffee, a tsp of powdered milk and about 2 of sugar in a cannister. When I want a drink just pour it in and don't have to worry taking jars.
i like chinese five spice powder give's a nice lift to bland food
also dried ginger :-D
OK - it costs (about 70p each) but 60ml nalgene bottles are not a great deal bigger than a film canister and can also be had in 125ml / 250ml / 500ml and litre sizes. Main thing is that you get a totally reliable lid if you want to carry oil, keep salt dry...
I'm a tea drinker so my answer to the milk problem is to take a nalgene bottle of lemon tea mix that I can drink without.
There are a couple of strong cordials under the "bottle green" brand that make a nice hot drink too. One's black berries and cinnamon - like mulled wine - another ginger and lemongrass. 10:1 dilution so you don't need to carry much.
Cheers.
MartiniDave
09-02-2004, 10:04
I also pinch as many sachets as I dare from cafes etc. The wife tells me I'm a jackdaw, but she doesn't mind using them on her fish & chips on family days out!
Just finished reading Nessmuk, he swears by salt mixed 30:1 with cayenne peper - will have to try it.
Off now to the lab stores to look thru the stock of small, sterile containers :wink:
Dave
For me it has to be Bristol Blend pepper corns ground just before I go out
David
Brynglas
09-05-2004, 15:09
For the sake of awakening an old topic, a couple of years ago I made a batch of the Pontack sauce, made with elderberries to the recipe in Richard Mabey's Food for Free, the recipe suggests allowing the stuff to mature for seven years(?) which is a bit long for me, it does definitely improve with age and is great for deglazing a pan for gravy in which gamey meat has been fried.
I've made a couple of more recent batches which I haven't tried yet, I just hope that it's worth the wait.
Sounds interesting!
What does the sauce taste like? In what way would you way it "improves"?
Brynglas
09-05-2004, 15:43
Sounds interesting!
What does the sauce taste like? In what way would you way it "improves"?
I've made the first batch with red wine and the more recent batches with wine and red wine vinegar, it tastes quite unique really, a hint of the vinegar taste that you would expect, and a strong fruity taste from the elderberries, also there are a lot of cloves and spices such as ginger etc in the mixture, as well as onions which impart their own flavour. The result is a really nice sharp (ish) spiciness which cuts through fatty or gamey meat beautifully, also it's a fantastic purple/red colour. I recommend it.
I can post the recipe if you want a go this autumn.
On a more alcoholic note (!), a fantstic recipe that has become a favourite at home over recent years is Carluccio's elderberry elixir, which is a great jammy syrup which I fortify with whisky. I'm a comitted Islay malt drinker so it's a good way to see off a blended whisky:
the recipe for this is:
2kg elderberries
100ml water
10 cardamom pods
15 cloves
2 cinammon sticks
juice & rind of one lemon
1kg of caster sugar
500ml (or more!) of whisky, brandy or dark rum.
The alcohol is optional.
Cook the berries in the water for 20 mins until the berries turn to a mush. Squeeze them in the pan to get all the juice out and then strain into a bowl through a muslin to strain (Note! this can be messy and make your kitchen look like the Texas Chain saw massacre).
Squeeze as much of the juice as you can out of the berries a discard the pulp that is left. Put the resulting juice, you should have about a litre, into a pan with the the cloves, cardamom and lemon etc. Cook for 10 minutes very gently and add the sugar, stirring over the heat until it melts. When melted bring it back to the boil and cook for a further 10 minutes on a gentle simmer.
Let this syrup cool and strain, it can then be bottled and fortified if you like, according to taste, it's great poured over ice cream, on it's own as a liqueur or with some hot water as a cold/flu remedy.
I love it and would say that it's well worth a go.
C_Claycomb
09-05-2004, 18:19
Another vote for Cajun seasoning. I am not so keen on really hot stuff, so I have been using the stuff from Schwartz :roll: , but it is good. Hope to be getting a recipe to make my own in a couple weeks.
If film pots are too small, Redoxin tubes are good. I am talking about the plastic tubes of fizzy VitC tablets. They have to be pretty damp proof to stop the tablets going off.
Hope to be getting a recipe to make my own in a couple weeks
Any you will post it here I hope ;-)
:-)
Ed
I use 'Good With Everything' Herb Sea Salt
http://www.lakelandlimited.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/images/200/1165.jpg
its a mixture of herbs and sea salt
I cant remember who makes it i'll look at the container when i get home
like everyone else i keep it in film canisters!
what was that stuff lithril had last weekend that stuff was good
Who dares burns hot chili sauce...It's an animal :-P
http://www.alliedspecialforces.org/hotheads.gif
NickBristol
10-05-2004, 16:28
Going back a bit to milk in coffee / tea etc, most supermarkets sell a fantastic squeezy tube of condensed milk for about 70p which is easy to carry and durable too. Makes creamy coffee and makes the best sweetener for porridge. I love it :lol:
Also, can be 'eaten' direct from the tube as a v sweet instant energy boost tho I've got no doubt my mother would disapprove lol :lol:
I use "take one" coffee sachets, already white and sweet, easy peasy! Mint hot chocloate sachets are my staple though, never drink the stuff at home, but can't get enough of it when out and about.
As for seasoning, I carry tabasco, a pot of jerk marinade, and an everyday seasoning mill. I don't take anyhting else unless I have somthing specific in mind.
Spirit of Fire mixed spices. You can get it in the supermarket in a small grinder and I grind plenty into a film canister. It contains dried chillies, sweet bell peppers, ginseng, peppadews, horseradish and black peppercorns
Adds a bit of bite. :shock:
I'm hungry...
Hellz
ummm ..... That sounds nice :-)
Ed
danzomekahiro
11-06-2004, 13:27
Schwartz American Barbecue Seasoning is excellent as both the base for a marinade, as an addition to soups and stews or just on grilled meat or fish. It has a very distinct, piquant sort of smoky flavour, with a hint of tomatoey-ness and combined with tabasco is excellent. It also goes well with citrus flavours. Yum!
:-D
Danzo
I carry just about everything in Nalgene containers (stems from days as a keen climber), spices, you have another vote for Cajun spice, chilli powder, black pepper, sea salt, and powdered garlic for when I can't get the real thing. Thyme and Oregano are good if you can get your hands on fresh meats. They all sit in with my cook kit.
I carry some Maggi seasoning sauce in a naglene bottle, Sort of like soy but better.
Mixed spice for bannocks and the like is useful too.
Oh don't forget the maple syrup for bacon too.
jamesoconnor
22-12-2006, 20:43
I use a pill box for my spices. You know, the ones with monday, tuesday, wednesday ets on them. You get them in the chemists for around 99p. I have chili powder, dried garlic, salt, pepper, dried ginger, all spice and curry powder in them.
The box looks something similar to this...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-Day-Pill-Medicine-Medication-Dispenser_W0QQitemZ19006383474 6QQihZ009QQcategoryZ122742QQrd Z1QQcmdZViewItem
James
fred gordon
22-12-2006, 21:35
Not quite seasoning, but at least something to add to food! I rarely go without a small piece of Parmassan cheese. I take a small grater (IKEA in packs of 3) and add the cheese to pastas, stews etc. I also found a very small pepper grinder as I love freshly ground pepper on things. :)
Oh don't forget the maple syrup for bacon too.
What happens with this?
Is it like kippers and marmalade or do you cook the bacon in the syrup?
I just add a little maple syrup to the bacon once it's cooked, terrific combination.
Of course it's also useful for pancakes and stuff like that too but real maple syrup on bacon is great.
I use apart from salt, pepper, sugar (cubes), this:
https://www.shop-southafricans.com/ProductImages/aromat.jpg
My favorite and kept in a film pot is 'Marigold' Swiss vegetable bouillon powder. It makes soup and adds flavour to the pot and is good sprinkled on bread and butter.
Swyn.
I use simple stuff, salt, pepper, oxo and tabaco. I have some cayenne that I may mix in aswell.
I didn't realise that Maggi was available in UK, my missus uses it in her fantastic grun kohl (stewed cabbage with boiled spuds and spicy german sausages,mmmmmmm!) so it is good to know she can get it when we move back this year coming.
Maggi can be hard to find but Morrisons stock it in small bottles but I get the big catering bottles from Wing Yip.
They also do powdered drinks a bit like the army ration stuff.
film canisters!
though truth be known i just rob sachets of salt, pepper, sugar and coffee from every cafe, restaurant or hotel i visit :oops: only one or two at a time obviously...
cheers, and.
Have a mate who works for maccas ;) i hear ya lol
My favorite and kept in a film pot is 'Marigold' Swiss vegetable bouillon powder. It makes soup and adds flavour to the pot and is good sprinkled on bread and butter.
Swyn.
I carry this too :D It's good stuff.
I also carry a little tub with a mixture of spice seeds in it. They're pretty easy to pickout and just crush up as and when needed (knife butt and a stone works fine) My mixture holds mustard seeds, peppercorns( I like the pink ones), celery seed, fennel, cardamom, coriander, love in a mist, sweet cicely, cumin and a nutmeg. A little bit of dried ginger, cinnamon stick, and vanilla pod go in too. I had expected the tastes to be all muddled but it works surprisingly well; it's as though it needs heat to really release the flavours.
Cheers,
Toddy
fred gordon
23-12-2006, 21:17
Yes, the Marigold is great stuff. We use it in the house all the time and |I wouldn't leave home without it. With hot water it also makes a passable savoury drink. :)
Culicoidis
23-12-2006, 22:57
I use apart from salt, pepper, sugar (cubes), this:
https://www.shop-southafricans.com/ProductImages/aromat.jpg
You can get the Knorr aromat at tescos, 90g in a stong metal container. Excellent with meat, fish or veg, either during cooking or afterwards as a seasoning.
Along with that I usually carry stock cubes, chilli powder and good old fashioned English Mustard powder (though colmans now do a squeezy tube of the stuff). I carry them in plastic screw cap sample pots. Also a good quantity of salt n pepper 70/30 mix.
Graham_S
24-12-2006, 01:15
i carry salt, pepper, mixed herbs, chilli flakes, garam masala, worcester sauce, garlic paste, tomato paste, and beef, chicken, ham, and veg stock cubes.
it all fits into one of the small "really useful box company" boxes
I just add a little maple syrup to the bacon once it's cooked, terrific combination.
Of course it's also useful for pancakes and stuff like that too but real maple syrup on bacon is great.
This I got to try.
Have you tried kippers with marmalade - proper marmalade that is?
When camping I carry a jar of Bovril, small sweet tins filled with salt, pepper, vinegar, English mustard, (borrowed from fast food places).
Vegetable Knorr cubes, garlic, bisto gravy browning, not the granules, but proper bisto, Australian bush pesto mix (from Oil and Vinegar) fantastic stuff great with just about everything, (mix a bit with hot water, leave for a few minutes then add olive oil. It does just about anything from making cheese on toast something special to adding a bit of zing to foraged herbs, I’ve not found anything savoury that you can’t use it on …yet)
shredded suet and flour, cooking oil and olive oils.
and anything else I can find to fill up my pack :rolleyes:
kitchen sink anyone
mrstorey
14-02-2008, 22:01
Little tip if you do love your herbs and spices: those seven day pill boxes (http://tinyurl.com/22dsvf) are ideal for storing a tasty selection. Make sure you get a decent quality one with good tight seals on the lids though - the cheapo pound shop ones are prone to leaking powder out the edges.
Minotaur
18-02-2008, 22:43
Nalgene containers. The travel kits are really useful.
Have finally managed to get rid of my coarse grind pepper mill. You can buy coarse ground pepper in Sainisburys.
Also take a Netto Jalfrezi curry mix, which is slowly running out! It has a nice curry taste but sweeter overtones. It was an offer so they do not have it all the time.
Take golden syrup instead of sugar.
Also carry lots of different herbs, esp Mint (To make sure I have it).
Extra Virgin Olive oil for all oily needs.
climberslacker
19-02-2008, 01:25
My favorite way to carry spices is like this
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
totally free and really simple
Buckley8219
19-02-2008, 08:55
I have eight or so little bottles and carry..
Olive oil, soy sauce, sesame sead oil, little tub of maldon sea salt, coarse black pepper, little bottle of maple syrup, few stock cubes and some bovril, also a few mixed herbs.
Makes the world of difference when cooking up!
I got about 8 bottles/box of various small sizes from cotswolds, cost me £6 I think, usefull for all sorts of things.
Got used to just drinking Ovaltine with sugar & hot water to avoid the milk issue.
Lemon juice is good just to put flavour up drinking water. And handly comes in plastic squeezy lemon.
littlebiglane
23-02-2008, 09:50
http://www.fiddespayne.co.uk/prod_jerk-seasonings.htm
These rock. Not just good with meat but noodles and vegetables too. I have the Jamaican Jerk :p . Available Sainsburys, Tesco etc.
Quite good size. Metal tin is okay quality to use for other things after you have finished the contents too :)
Thats what I carry with me. It comes with a key-fob and is smaller than a walnut and makes everything edible.
http://www.cswnetz.de/klfluchten/product_info.php?products_id=1 683
the stated weight is, of course, not correct
bikething
23-02-2008, 12:18
Thats what I carry with me. It comes with a key-fob and is smaller than a walnut and makes everything edible.
http://www.cswnetz.de/klfluchten/product_info.php?products_id=1 683
the stated weight is, of course, not correct
That looks useful...what sort of quantity do you get of each ingredient ???
Depends on the type of camping, my condements range from a few zip lock bags with herbs to a big tupperware box with the full range of nice things. Squeeze tubes are great for things like butter spread, jam, honey etc, I love tubes of sweetened condensed milk, and I now prefer curry paste to powder
i love jerk chicken.spent a fortnight in jamaica and now i love the stuff but you still cant cook it like the jamaicans
That looks useful...what sort of quantity do you get of each ingredient ???
About a thimble, no more. Its ok for shorter forays.
If anyone needs one of these and cant find them, let me know. I have them in the shop.