# Does brand matter with herbs and spices?



## CjH

I've gotten lots of recommendations for Penzye's Spices, so I was thinking of ordering some whole spices, like cumin and mustard seeds.  I was wondering, however, if the cheap stuff in the grocery store is the same thing?  

I know some items like black pepper can go anywhere from a few cents to several dollars in price, so what spices are worth spending extra on, and which ones doesn't it matter?


----------



## Wyogal

Which "cheap" stuff? Some of the $1 stuff gives me heartburn, mostly the powdered version. I use the cheap dried onion, and store brand pepper and sea salt.  I usually buy my spices on sale.


----------



## Andy M.

My personal opinion is that it's worth the expense to buy spices from a reputable source.  

You can order from Penzeys, or visit one of their stores depending on your location, that's what I do.

Another good source, and a low priced one, is ethnic grocers.  If you have an Indian or Middle Eastern market in your area, you will find a wide variety of spices at a relatively low price.  Not to mention the great aromas that greet you when you walk in the door.


----------



## Mimizkitchen

Andy M. said:


> My personal opinion is that it's worth the expense to buy spices from a reputable source.
> 
> You can order from Penzeys, or visit one of their stores depending on your location, that's what I do.
> 
> Another good source, and a low priced one, is ethnic grocers.  If you have an Indian or Middle Eastern market in your area, you will find a wide variety of spices at a relatively low price.  Not to mention the great aromas that greet you when you walk in the door.



I agree with Andy, you really get what you pay for...


----------



## Constance

I agree, to a point. Some store brands (Krogers, for instance) are just as good as the name brands, though.


----------



## bakechef

This can get confusing, price is not a good indicator of quality.  The cheap $1 spices in the big bottles are not usually very good, but as another poster said, ethnic grocers usually sell their spices for a really low price, but are often really nice quality.  I would say that you would be better off with cheap whole spices than cheap ground spices, who knows if there are fillers or undesirable parts of the spice are ground up in there. 

McCormick and similar brands are often very expensive in the grocery store, they are good quality in my experience, but very overpriced (my store wants over $7 for less than an ounce of cloves).

If you have a World Market/Cost Plus near you, check out their selection, awesome prices and great quality.

If you don't have World Market/Cost Plus or ethnic markets in your area, then Penzy's is a great place to get spices online.


----------



## Robo410

I buy at ethnic grocers and restaurant supply. I share out the quantity if I know I can't use it all in a year or so. (some I portion out and freeze)  but even tossing some stale after awhile it is so much cheaper than the bottles in the supermarket.

Cosco BJs and Sam's Club will also save you money on herbs and spices


----------



## Yakuta

I also buy my spices at ethnic market.  To me price is not always an indicator of quality when it comes to spices.  A lot of it is packaging and how exotic it's categorized by the rest of the population.  

I buy most of my spices in bulk and in just packets and I then do my own packaging in bottles etc.  

I have atleast 3 dozen if not more herbs and spices (no joke ) and I only buy whole spices with the exception of turmeric and paprika that I buy ground.  

Best place is ethnic stores as others indicated - Middleeastern, Indian, Mexican and I also have an italian market, all these places are cheap and good.


----------



## GrillingFool

I have been pleased with the spices in plastic bags found in the hispanic section of many grocery stores now. The cumin is always rich and fragrant, and the ginger I just bought
was the most aromatic and flavorful I've ever found.
AND... it was 99 cents, vs $3.98 for McCormick brand.


----------



## GB

Spices do not age well. Once they start to lose their potency due to age they decline quickly and quite hard. You end up with sawdust tasting spices. The mass markets spices you find in the supermarket can be OK, but the problem with them generally is that they can be quite old and thus have lost a lot of their potency. it is kind of  a crap shoot. You may get some fresh stuff or you may get some stuff that is older than you. You just never know.

Places like Penzys and most ethnic markets do a lot of business in spices so their inventory turns over quickly. Because of that the spices are usually pretty fresh and potent. 

I am a Penzys fanatic. I have never bought something there that I was unhappy with. And I find their prices better than the sprices in my supermarket. Of course I end up buying much more at Penzys then I would at the market so i do spend more money in the long run, but boy is it worth it to me.


----------



## jennyema

I agree with GB.

It's *freshness* that matters above all else.

I only shop at Penzey's and Spice House because you are guaranteed a fresh and outstanding product.

And it's reasonably priced, too.


----------



## BreezyCooking

While I do love Penzey's, there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying name brands at your grocery store.  "Spice House" & "McCormack's" are perfectly fine brands to purchase.  In fact, I buy large containers of McCormack's dried oregano, granulated garlic, & Telicherry Black Peppercorns at CostCo all the time.  Quality is top-notch.


----------



## FrankZ

I have a friend that works for a spice company that you likely haven't herd of but have probably had.

They take the same garlic powder and put the store brand on it and the name brand on it from the same barrel.  They package a lot of the name brands people use, even some you might not suspect.

Oddly he always smells weird.


----------



## Wyogal

I avoid buying anything online. I was raised to buy local, especially when economic times are tough. It helps with the local tax base.
I've been to some food manufacturing places and they've showed us how the same stuff goes into different packaging for the store brands.
Except graham crackers... man the store brand I've gotten tastes like cardboard!


----------



## JamesS

We make a yearly pilgrimage to a Penzy's store about an hour away which keeps us in good shape most of the year. For fill in's I generally get McCormick in the small plastic bottles or Spice Island. Locally, Spice Island is super expensive, but I've never had a problem with the quality.


----------



## ChefJune

Ethnic markets are your best source for both freshness and price for the spices of those regions. They have the highest turnover, so their stock is freshest.

Spices that come in tins in supermarkets.... you don't want to know what is in those cans bsides the spices!  They are allowed a certain ppm number of "other things" like rodent hairs or bugs!   Besides, there's no real way to know how long those cans have been sitting on the shelves, or the warehouses before that.

If you don't live in an area where you can get to a good fresh source for dried spices and herbs, then online purchasing from a reputable source is your best bet.  Buy only what you think you can use within 6 months.  Things change after that. (Of course you can always share with family and friends ). And if you store your herbs and spices next to the stove or other heat source, their shelf life will be even less than 6 months. The heat will dry them out and change their character significantly.

I have had folks argue with me about these, but I know from experience of which I speak. 

Penzey's, Spice House, Kalustyan's are all reputable on-line sources. I shop at *Vanns*. If you live in the Baltimore area, I th ink you can go to their location.


----------



## Bigjim68

GB said:


> Spices do not age well. Once they start to lose their potency due to age they decline quickly and quite hard. You end up with sawdust tasting spices. The mass markets spices you find in the supermarket can be OK, but the problem with them generally is that they can be quite old and thus have lost a lot of their potency. it is kind of  a crap shoot. You may get some fresh stuff or you may get some stuff that is older than you. You just never know.
> 
> Places like Penzys and most ethnic markets do a lot of business in spices so their inventory turns over quickly. Because of that the spices are usually pretty fresh and potent.
> 
> I am a Penzys fanatic. I have never bought something there that I was unhappy with. And I find their prices better than the sprices in my supermarket. Of course I end up buying much more at Penzys then I would at the market so i do spend more money in the long run, but boy is it worth it to me.


I think that the shelf time on spices is at least as important as brand.  Another reason for specialty stores like Penzys.  Some of the more unusual spices on the supermarket shelves have been there a while.

I also tend to buy whole instead of ground and grind small quantities myself in the mortar and pestle.  It is somewhat tedious, but the taste is much better.   

I agree with the bulk spices in ethnic markets.  You can buy as little or as much as you want, and the quality is much better.


----------



## ChefJune

I use a clean coffee grinder (dedicated for spices) to grind my whole spices. It's a lot easier than pounding in a mortar with a pestle, and a lot less flies around the kitchen...


----------



## Bigjim68

ChefJune said:


> I use a clean coffee grinder (dedicated for spices) to grind my whole spices. It's a lot easier than pounding in a mortar with a pestle, and a lot less flies around the kitchen...


Can't disagree with the coffee grinder.  I hate to clean the things.  Someone should make a grinder that will disassemble for cleaning.  The same applies with whole bean coffee, If you grind one type, then switch.  The difference is detectable.


----------



## CjH

Bigjim68 said:


> Can't disagree with the coffee grinder. I hate to clean the things. Someone should make a grinder that will disassemble for cleaning. The same applies with whole bean coffee, If you grind one type, then switch. The difference is detectable.


 
Speaking of, how DO you clean those things out? The only thing I've found that has sorta worked is rubbing the inside with a damp paper towel..


----------



## GB

I clean mine by throwing a few small pieces of bread in and grinding that up then wiping with a paper towel.


----------



## Andy M.

GB said:


> I clean mine by throwing a few small pieces of bread in and grinding that up then wiping with a paper towel.



I've also heard of grinding rice to clean it.


----------



## CookLikeJulia

I agree with that technique, I use also rice to clean it.


----------



## babetoo

for my needs i think penzeys is the best. i like that i can buy small amounts. the ones at my grocery store are way over priced. i did try a mexican garlic powder, it is really really powdery. hard to sprinkle on food if not down right impossible. since the salt free diet , i am using tons of paprika and penzys is definitely less expensive that grocery store. but you are right i buy more spices.


----------



## recipedirect

GrillingFool said:


> I have been pleased with the spices in plastic bags found in the hispanic section of many grocery stores now. The cumin is always rich and fragrant, and the ginger I just bought
> was the most aromatic and flavorful I've ever found.
> AND... it was 99 cents, vs $3.98 for McCormick brand.



I'm with you on that. The spices in the Hispanic section are much cheaper. I have found them to be good quality.


----------



## mcnerd

babetoo said:


> for my needs i think penzeys is the best. i like that i can buy small amounts.


I too love ordering from Penzeys, especially when they provide a free jar or two with every order.  I've expanded my horizons of spices because of them.


----------



## kadesma

I've bought both from Penzy's and The Spice House. The Spice House gets things to you right now and they are good quality and not all that expensive. I plan to continue to use both.
kades


----------



## Claire

I think we're all in agreement:  It isn't easy to know.  The best indicator to me is the turnover in the store you are buying from.  I've bought spices (most notably cinnamon and cumin) in stores that were out-of-the-way, were name brands, and were dead, simply because they'd been sitting on the shelf for way, way too long.  I, personally, have never had bad luck with Penzeys, but also have a local spice guy who I've had good luck with (I think he buys in bulk and packages it himself).  But if you live in an area where the spice/herb you like is very popular, the chances of getting a good quality from even an inexpensive brand is probably better than if  you buy it in the town you live in where something out of the ordinary for your location is likely to have been sitting on the grocery shelf for a year or two.


----------



## antom

I think you will find the prices relative to the quantity and quality quite reasonable. I am often appalled by how expensive spices are in the supermarkets. I cooking everything from scratch, I make sausage and I grind and mix my own spices.  A hint try lightly roasting your spices before you grinding them the process releases the oils from the spices making there flavors more pungent.  A trick I learned from making masala's for curies.


----------



## Harry Cobean

antom said:


> I think you will find the prices relative to the quantity and quality quite reasonable. I am often appalled by how expensive spices are in the supermarkets. I cooking everything from scratch, I make sausage and I grind and mix my own spices.  A hint try lightly roasting your spices before you grinding them the process releases the oils from the spices making there flavors more pungent.  A trick I learned from making masala's for curies.



with you on that,antom.i never use  dried herbs & only use shop bought ground spices in dry rubs.always roast & grind my own for curries etc.here's a receep you might like.welcome to dc,by the way!
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/harrys-pork-rib-tikka-87861.html


----------



## Addie

Bigjim68 said:


> Can't disagree with the coffee grinder.  I hate to clean the things.  Someone should make a grinder that will disassemble for cleaning.  The same applies with whole bean coffee, If you grind one type, then switch.  The difference is detectable.



Run a fresh piece of crust of bread through your spice grinder. Do this each time you grind spices. Do it a couple of times and it will clean out and pick up any spice powder left behind. 

I prefer to order on line any extracts. What you get in the stores are so overpriced for the amount you get.

I also, if a recipe calls for 'the juice of', remove the zest and freeze it by the teaspoons. Then if I don't have a lemon or orange on hand when the recipe calls for juice, I will use that frozen zest and put it in hot water. Or if the recipe calls for the zest and not the juice, I will squeeze out the juice and freeze that in ice cube trays. Nothing goes to waste in this kitchen. 

Quality costs. You are better off buying quality spices. Penzy does quality. If they also dabbled in women's sweaters and men's boots along with spices, I would wonder about their quality. But they only do "spices!" They are experts in what they do. Considering the quality of their products, they are well worth the price.


----------



## Harry Cobean

just roast & grind your own in a mortar & pestle.the whole spices are roasted dry,so the pan only needs a wipe out with kitchen paper.the mortar & pestle only has two moving parts & disassembled easily for cleaning!!


----------



## Addie

Harry, that is great advice for the young without arthritic hands. Sometimes just holding an implement in ones' hands can be very painful. When they make the grinder with a large soft handle, we might be able to accomplish that chore. It is for that reason Oxo tools came into being.

In the meantime, progress has given us other means of performing the same chore.  

Thus the electric coffee grinder. One for coffee beans, and one for spices. Great pictures though!


----------



## Harry Cobean

Addie said:


> Harry, that is great advice for the young without arthritic hands. Sometimes just holding an implement in ones' hands can be very painful. When they make the grinder with a large soft handle, we might be able to accomplish that chore. It is for that reason Oxo tools came into being.
> 
> In the meantime, progress has given us other means of performing the same chore.
> 
> Thus the electric coffee grinder. One for coffee beans, and one for spices. Great pictures though!


mind over matter,addie!my left shoulder is a replacement joint(no more rugby for me)& have arthritis in my right hand.but then i always did enjoy a bit of pain!!
fair point tho',if the arthritis is bad.should try doctor harry's chrimbo cure all.great anti inflammatory properties in ginger/lemongrass & honey.does seem to work on my shoulder & hand,tastes bloody good too,mate
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f12/dr-harrys-chrimbo-cure-all-88414.html


----------



## Mad Cook

If you find a brand you like stick with it (although the weather and other conditions can affect the flavour of even the most reliable brands.) In Britain the majority of the supermarkets' own brand dried herbs and spices have the same sources as the well-known brands and I imagine that the same applies where you are. Often they are packed at source ie where they are grown with only fairly random quality checks by representatives of the firm whose name is on the final packaging. 

 Personally, of the big brands, I don't like Schwartz very much. They are over-priced and I often find that the supermarket's own brands are fresher (probably because the turn over is greater due to the lower price). Barts are usually good and they have a few unusual ones. A lot of herbs, such as basil, don't dry well and dried mint is a completely different animal to the fresh variety. I don't buy ready ground pepper or nutmeg as they lose flavour almost immediately they're ground, and packaging, however airtight, vacuum-packed, etc., can't really save them.


----------



## taxlady

I don't worry about the brand when it's whole spices like nutmeg, cardamom in pods, cinnamon sticks.


----------



## Roll_Bones

bakechef said:


> McCormick and similar brands are often very expensive in the grocery store, they are good quality in my experience, but very overpriced (my store wants over $7 for less than an ounce of cloves).



Costco sells McCormick exclusively at less than 1/2 what a grocery store sells them at. But the containers are rather large.  They sell whole and ground spices.  The only problem is they do not have all the spices you would need.  Only the staples. 
We just refrigerate them, due to the size.  It does take up some space in the fridge, but well worth it.


----------

