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Whole spice conversion


Natho

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Is there any kind of formula or method for measuring whole spices when a recipe asks for powdered? As in if my curry wants 1 tsp of powdered cumin, how much whole seeds would i use?

"Alternatively, marry a good man or woman, have plenty of children, and train them to do it while you drink a glass of wine and grow a moustache." -Moby Pomerance

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why not just grind the whole spices up? It would seem to me that that would be the best thing to do.

More surface area so you get better extraction out of whatever spice you are using and you don't have to worry about chomping down on a whole *insert whatever spice you used*

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Well yes i do plan on grinding them up to cook with but i still need to know how much to grind up in the first place. I don't want to pregrind a whole bunch of spices as they don't keep as well. I do it all in the mortar and pestle when i go to cook something. I have till now been adding about 50% more.

"Alternatively, marry a good man or woman, have plenty of children, and train them to do it while you drink a glass of wine and grow a moustache." -Moby Pomerance

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Well yes i do plan on grinding them up to cook with but i still need to know how much to grind up in the first place. I don't want to pregrind a whole bunch of spices as they don't keep as well. I do it all in the mortar and pestle when i go to cook something. I have till now been adding about 50% more.

my experience tells me 1T of whole spice yields 1 1/2T or just under

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I've never found a general rule-of-thumb for spice conversion and I grind almost all my spices just before I cook. Remember, for each whole spice you only have to figure out the conversion once. I write the formula on the spice label so I'll know the next time I use the spice.

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Well yes i do plan on grinding them up to cook with but i still need to know how much to grind up in the first place. I don't want to pregrind a whole bunch of spices as they don't keep as well. I do it all in the mortar and pestle when i go to cook something. I have till now been adding about 50% more.

my experience tells me 1T of whole spice yields 1 1/2T or just under

Uh, maybe 1 1/2 tsp from 1T, but it'd be hard to end up with more ground spice by volume than the whole you spices you started with. I don't think there's any specific formula that works across different shaped spices. Measure by weight or don't measure and you won't have this problem.

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Thanks everyone. I had considered weighing but i don't think my scales are sensitive enough for small amounts. It doesn't matter anyway I just kind of guess and it turns out fine. I was just curious if there was actually a preferred method or not..

"Alternatively, marry a good man or woman, have plenty of children, and train them to do it while you drink a glass of wine and grow a moustache." -Moby Pomerance

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