Sweet Melissa Garden Herbs Spice List:

Prices for Glass Jar Spices:  * you may select any quantity or assortment of the spice options *        

1 for $8   Y   3 for $23   Y   5 for $38   Y   10 for $70   Y   15 for $105   Y   20 for $135

Basil (Sweet) –Sweet basil has wonderful flavor and is a great all purpose herb.  Basil is one of the most frequently used culinary herbs.  In Italian cooking it is the traditional herb for tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese dishes.  Basil, garlic and tomatoes are the world greatest trio.

Bay Leaves – Bay leaves come from the sweet bay or laurel tree.  Bay Leaves are used in tomato sauces, soups, meats and vegetable dishes.  Bay Leaves have a sharp and bitter taste to them.

Black Pepper Mix– (Black Peppercorns) is dried mature berries of tropical vine.  The whole dried berry (peppercorn) is used as black pepper.  Black pepper is sharp and has strong flavor.  Pepper is a universal table condiment used to flavor all types of dishes worldwide.  It is used in stocks, pickling, rubs, and sausages.   (White Peppercorns) are berries used for white pepper are ripened on the vine and soaked so that outer hulls are easily removed.  White peppercorns are hotter.  (Green Peppercorns) are immature berries which freeze dried or packed in brine for preservation.  Green peppercorns have mild flavor and a fresh taste.   (Pink Peppercorns) are rose baises have a fruity flavor and bold pink beautiful coloring.  They are sweet and mild are used on salads, eggs, seafood, and white sauces.  They are too soft to use in a peppermill so are sprinkled over food. 

Bouquet Garni (French Herb Blend) – Bouquet Garni means a bouquet garnish it is a mixture of basil, marjoram, rosemary, summer savory, thyme, tarragon, oregano, sage and dill weed.  It is used in slow simmering dishes, soup, stews, and casseroles.

Cayenne Pepper – It is made from dried pods of pungent chili peppers.  This spice creates fiery flair in gourmet meals. 

Celery Seed – Celery seed is dried fruit of Apium graviolers.  It is biennial in the parsley family.  Celery seed tastes similar to table celery, slightly bitter and a nice aromatic flavor.  It is used in most pickling recipes.

Chili Powder- Chili powder is rich flavor, deep red color and has very little heat.  The blend is the backbone of all Mexican dishes such as burritos and tamales.  Chili powder is made up of ancho chili pepper, cumin, garlic, & Mexican oregano.  To increase the heat to chili powders add cayenne peppers for mild heat and crushed red peppers for hot heat. 

Chives – Chives are bright green, an onion like member of the lily family.  Chives have a mild onion flavor and a hint of garlic.  Chives are used as a fine herb in French cooking and are a great garnish.

Cilantro – Cilantro is the leaf of the young coriander plant.  Cilantro is traditionally used in Middle Eastern, Mexican and Asian cooking.  Cilantro’s taste is a mix of parsley and citrus.  Cilantro is a great garnish for all seafood.

Cinnamon –Cinnamon is a dried bark of various laurel trees.  Ground cinnamon is the most common used spice in baking.  Cinnamon is used in cakes, desserts, cookies, on apples, cereal, chicken and hot beverages.  Cinnamon has a sweet woody flavoring both ground and of stick form. 

Cloves – Cloves are the rich brown unopened flower buds.  Cloves are strong, bold and sweet flavor.  They are used in spice cookies and cakes.  Cloves come from Madagascar, and Brazil.  

Cumin – Cumin is pale green seed.   Cumin is used in Mexican dishes such as tacos and salsa.  Cumin has a very strong distinctive, bitter and warm flavor.  Cumin is a very ancient spice used back in the days by Romans and during the medieval times.  Cumin is today the second most popular spice in the world today. 

Curry Powder - Curry powder is a blend of many different spices.  Curry powder is used in most dishes in India and Southeast Asia.  Basic curry powder is yellow and has a mild sweet flavor.  Curry powder is great in poultry, rice, vegetables and sauces. 

Dill – Dill weed is a feathery appearance and is bright green.   It is used mostly in German and Scandinavian dishes.  The dill seed flavor is clean and dill weed has similar flavor but has a fresher taste.  Dill is used in sauces, dressings, poultry, and dips and is great with all potato dishes. 

Garlic- Garlic is used throughout the world.  Garlic has a distinctive odor and pungent flavor.  Garlic comes in three forms powder, roasted and fine powder.  Garlic is the most heavily used spice in the world.  Garlic is the key ingredient in all Italian dishes.  Garlic is best used to season meats, vegetables, breads and sauces. 

Herb de Provence – Herb de Provence is the classic French herb blend.   Herb de Provence is a mixture of rosemary, thyme, tarragon, basil, savory, lavender, cracked fennel, and marjoram.  Herb de Provence is used on fish, beef stews, tomatoes, stocks, chicken, vegetables, and breads. 

Horseradish – Horseradish is a hot condiment made from the plant in the mustard family.  Horseradish powder is made from grinding the root and drying in gentle heat.  Horseradish vinegar is the root mixed with onions, garlic, shallots, red pepper in vinegar.  Most horseradish is grown in Oregon.  It is used for roasted beef, fish and oysters.  Horseradish has a pungent flavor and has a nice heat to it.    

Nutmeg – Nutmeg has a quite strong flavor.  It comes whole or ground.  Nutmeg is used as the secret ingredient in tomato sauce, meatballs, and stews.  Nutmeg gives that extract special flavoring to desserts, rice pudding, spinach, squash and sweet potato pie.

Onion – Onions are grown worldwide.  Onions can come in powder, roasted, salt and granulated form.  Onions powder has a pungent flavor and a sharp bite.  Onion salt is onion powder and sea salt combined.  Roasted or toasted onions have a nutty flavor.   When onions are cooked with heat they develop a rich sweetness.  Onions are the one vegetable that are used in breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Different forms of onion spices are used in sauces, as a seasoning for vegetables or meat, soups, and in dips.

Oregano – Oregano is a dried leaf of a perennial herb in the mint family.  Greek oregano is sweet and bright with lemony overtones.  Mexican oregano has a bitter and strong flavor.  Oregano is used on meats, vegetables, key ingredient in sauce and on pizza.  Oregano is also a flavoring in wines.  Oregano is used in chili powder.      

Paprika- Paprika comes from mild red chili peppers.  Paprika has a bright red color and is used often as a garnish.   There are many different kinds on paprika such as Californian, half sharp Hungarian, and Spanish smoked sweet or hot, and the classic #1 paprika is sweet Hungarian.  Paprika ranges from sweet, mild to hot.  Paprika is the main flavor in Hungarian cooking, including dishes such as Goulash and Chicken Paprikash.  In the US paprika best friend is devil eggs.  Paprika is used in many Spanish rice and sausage dishes.  Moroccans use it in tomato dishes and salads. 

Parsley – Parsley has a light, fresh scent and sweet flavor.  Parsley is every chef’s favorite herb used as a garnish.  Parsley is a great breath freshener.  It is high in vitamins A and C and contains iron, iodine, and copper.  It is a garnish used in soups, meats, sauces, salads and vegetables.

Rosemary – Rosemary is an herb in the mint family.  Rosemary is used in cooking of lamb, pork, chicken and with roasted potato.  Rosemary has a tea like aroma and a piney flavor.  You can buy rosemary in ground form, whole or cracked needles.  When making foccacia bread rosemary is the key ingredient.

Thyme – Thyme is the leaf of a low-growing shrub in the mint family.  Thyme has a subtle, dry aroma and a slightly minty flavor.  Thyme often paired with tomatoes.  Thyme is mixed with other seasoning blends for poultry and stuffing.