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Three years ago in Austin, I stopped using pre-ground spices for good.
I was prepping for a big catering event and the flavor in my rub just felt flat, no matter how much I added. Last week, I toasted whole cumin and coriander seeds for a taco bar and the difference was like night and day. Do you think the extra five minutes to grind your own is actually worth it for a busy dinner service?
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the_thomas5mo ago
Just watched a line cook try to season a steak with pre-ground pepper from a dusty shaker, looked like he was sprinkling brown sand. Marydavis is right about nutmeg turning to dust, but honestly, that stuff in the plastic jar has been dead for years. For tacos? You're basically paying for fancy colored powder if you don't toast and grind it fresh.
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charles1225mo ago
So you're saying the flavor difference was that big? I'm curious, have you tried doing a side by side test with something like black pepper? I wonder if the pre-ground stuff loses its punch faster for some spices than others.
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the_terry4mo ago
Oh man, I gotta push back on this a little. I actually did a blind taste test with black pepper once, ground fresh vs. that pre-ground stuff that's been sitting in my cabinet for like six months. And honestly? I couldn't tell a difference. Maybe it was my cooking, maybe it was the cheap steak I used, but the "dust" everyone talks about tasted just fine to me. I think a lot of the hype around fresh grinding is just people convincing themselves they're fancy chefs.
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marydavis5mo ago
Black pepper is a great example, but honestly, what about something like nutmeg? The pre-ground stuff tastes like dust after a month.
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