The seven deadly Spices

blaise · Mar 16, 2017

An old timer once told me that these were the "Seven Deadly Spices", not because they would harm you-----but because of their potency, they could easily ruin a batch of sausage.

With the American thinking----if some is good, a lot has to be better: well better be careful with these.

1. Cardamon

2. Allspice

3. Clove

4. Mace

5. Nutmeg ---- 4 and 5 are from the same pod , if you were not aware

6. Hot Pepper ---- especially the Carolina reaper and ghost pepper that are so popular today

7. Sage

Blaise

SmokinAl · Mar 16, 2017

Good to know!

Thanks!

I think that fennel should be added to that list too!

Al

daveomak · Mar 16, 2017

....Recommended usage and conversion chart....

Spice Usage guidelines.jpg

daveomak
Mar 8, 2017

Spice conversion 001.jpg

daveomak
Mar 8, 2017

SmokinAl · Mar 16, 2017

I gotta copy & paste that chart Dave!

Thanks for posting it.

Al

bluewhisper · Mar 16, 2017

When I make "taco beef" I use a VERY SMALL amount of cinnamon. At first it smells like I've ruined it but after a bit of cooking it mellows out a lot.

tallbm · Mar 16, 2017

Blaise said:
An old timer once told me that these were the "Seven Deadly Spices", not because they would harm you-----but because of their potency, they could easily ruin a batch of sausage.

With the American thinking----if some is good, a lot has to be better: well better be careful with these.

1. Cardamon

2. Allspice

3. Clove

4. Mace

5. Nutmeg ---- 4 and 5 are from the same pod , if you were not aware

6. Hot Pepper ---- especially the Carolina reaper and ghost pepper that are so popular today

7. Sage

Blaise

Great info to keep in mind when I begin making my own sausage seasonings. I'm wanting to abandon but replicate with alterations, some of the store bought sausage seasonings I use.

DaveOmak said:
....Recommended usage and conversion chart....

Spice Usage guidelines.jpg

daveomak

Mar 8, 2017

Spice conversion 001.jpg

daveomak

Mar 8, 2017

Wow great chart Dave!

Do you have something similar for salt? The amount of salt (kosher vs table vs others, etc.) per pound or kilo of ground meat is something I've been thinking about lately as I daydream about making my own sausage seasoning and it would also help when I season ground meat for other dishes as I eyeball it but can't really convey how much to add to others when they ask for the recipe.

johnmeyer · Mar 16, 2017

When I first made a Greek dish back in the 70's it called for cinnamon. I used what the recipe called for, but it was way too much and it absolutely ruined the dish. Ever since then, I have not been a fan, at all, of cinnamon in meat. So I would agree that it belongs on this list.

browneyesvictim · Mar 16, 2017

Indeed this is clip and save worthy! (points also)

Although, I would argue there is a big difference in potency the of the ingredients based on freshness that should be taken into account. Dried vs fresh or even how long these dried herbs and spices have been stored.

allingamer · Mar 16, 2017

Some great info here fellas. Thanks for posting it.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

dirtsailor2003 · Mar 16, 2017

A point for Blaise, and a Point for Dave!

Salt should be in that list too!

Back many moons ago a friend and I decided to make peanut butter cookies. Some where along the line one of us read the recipe wrong and we ended up mixing the salt and sugar amounts. So we ended up putting a 1/2 cup of salt in and a teaspoon of sugar. Not good...

bena · Mar 16, 2017

add star anise to the list please ---unless you like biting into a shot of Jaggermeister ;-)

daveomak · Mar 16, 2017

TallBM.... stop using measuring spoons and get a 0-100 grams scale...
Salt.... The density is too scattered to volume weigh properly...

SALT varieties weight-volume.png

daveomak
Mar 8, 2017

SmokyMose · Mar 16, 2017

I have noticed that Allspice is underestimated in it's potency.

daveomak · Mar 16, 2017

Mose....... Me also.... Pretty powerful stuff... BUT it adds a great dimensional flavoring... I've got to have it in pickled salmon and eggs...

tallbm · Mar 16, 2017

DaveOmak said:
TallBM.... stop using measuring spoons and get a 0-100 grams scale...
Salt.... The density is too scattered to volume weigh properly...

SALT varieties weight-volume.png

daveomak

Mar 8, 2017

I have a gempro 250 that should do the trick well.

I was being lazy about it until a moment ago. I just did a little searching on the Google and the consensus is that 3/4 to 1 tsp of Kosher salt (no name given) is what "should" be used per pound of meat.

I will definitely follow your suggestion to weigh the salt instead of rely on tsp/tbspn measurements BUT all of the info I could find in my quick search talks about teaspoons and does not mention the exact salt, though Kosher was referenced in one article I found using the same 3/4 to 1tsp per pound measurement.

So my homework will be to just weigh 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of Morton's Kosher salt and test it in a pound of ground meat and I'm sure I will make quick work in solving my question of how much salt to use per pound of meat. I'm all out of kosher at the moment though so it will have to wait.

Once I have that figured out I can use your chart above to do a conversion for table salt and my kirklands brand sea salt, test, and then know what all three salts will need to measure in weight for 1 pound of meat. I should be in the clear then... unless someone throws some pink himalayan salt at me to use :P

On a side note I found an amazing article where a guy seems to prove that adding salt to burger patties AFTER the patty is formed results in the right kind of texture for a burger where mixing salt into the burger and then forming patties, or adding salt to meat cubes and grinding then making patties results in more of a meat loaf or sausage consistency and texture. It was very cool. I always wondered why sometimes my burgers got a little dense, it was the salt I was mixing in causing the problem!

geezer · Mar 16, 2017

I like allspice and cardamom on pork in small amounts.

blaise · Mar 17, 2017

I think the old time advice was aimed at just being careful of all spices and herbs, especially on new recipes. Try it the way written first, then, eliminate, add or subtract to your individual taste. Better than going overboard and ruining a large quantity of meat.

To that end I always record on a chart every sausage make. This has two advantages 1. It makes sure I don't miss any ingredients ( an old age problem) 2. It allows me to make changes to the ingredients and amounts the next time I make it. You might think you'll remember, but chances are you won't. I have done this numerous times until the recipe suits my taste and goes im my permanent file.

Here's an example of one of my charts.

IMG_2615.JPG

blaise
Mar 17, 2017

IMG_2616.JPG

blaise
Mar 17, 2017

Sorry guys couldn't get the copy and paste to work. But you get the idea and charts are easy to make on your computer, make them to suit your personal needs.

Blaise

johnh12 · Mar 17, 2017

Thanks for the lists. I'm just starting in this sausage making addiction so I copied and pasted to a word document and will print and keep it with my Charcuterie book.

ab canuck · Mar 17, 2017

Great Info, Thx. guys, Point, Definitely will copy this...

The seven deadly Spices

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