Home of The Spice Rack Spice History Spice Book:   A to Z Which to Use Seasoning Mixes Storing Spices Shelf Life Preserving Herbs Spicy Tips & FAQs Spicy Wedding? Spice Links	Spice Book Here you will find information and descriptions on a large number of herbs and spices. You may even find some photos and recipes along the way. Click on the letter of the seasoning in which you are interested and enjoy your tour of the Spice Book. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z   Sources Much of the information in the SpiceRack section of our website has come from material provided by Penzeys Spices as well as a number of other resources around the Internet. Photos throughout these pages come from a variety of sources around the Internet. Many came from an excellent spice site, "Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages," while others came from Penzeys catalogues.
	O Old World Seasoning: Old World is a popular, lower salt, all-purpose Central European blend. In the 70’s, Old World was used for fabulous fried chicken and fish, mixed into the flour 2 tablespoon per cup. Now, baking and broiling are more popular, and Old World is still a favorite, just rub on 1 - 2 teaspoon per pound Old World can be used on steaks, beef ribs or roasts, hamburgers or meatloaf, 1 - 2 teaspoon per pound, or add 2 tablespoon to chicken soup or beef stew. Perfect for sauteed vegetables -- from zucchini to pea pods, great on baked or mashed potatoes, or sprinkled over popcorn. Paprika, salt, sugar, celery, garlic, onion, black pepper, parsley, dill, caraway, turmeric, dill, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, savory, basil and rosemary.	Back to Index
	Onions: Even if you always use fresh onions, dehydrated onions are great to keep on hand for those times that you find your fresh onions have turned to mush or you’ve run out just when you need them the most. White onions have the flavor of a sweet, raw onion, without the sharpness of fresh onions, making them nice for those who like the flavor of onions without the bite. Toasted onions, soft brown in color, have a "French Onion" flavor, very nice for soup, on pork roast, tuna casseroles or pot roast. Most dishes have enough liquid to rehydrate the onions with no problem, but when adding to bread dough, omelets, etc. it is nice to rehydrate the onions first. Onion Powder: Onion powder adds lots of flavor, and is a convenient way to slip onions past children. 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder equals 1/4 cup freshly chopped onion. Sprinkle on roasts, baked fish or chicken, add to salad dressings and vegetables. White onion has sweet raw onion flavor, toasted onion has a "French" onion flavor -- great for soup. Onion Salt: Onion salt is a blend of fine-grained salt and granulated white onion. One of the most popular blends in the United States Orange Peel: Beautiful orange color, bright orange flavor and fine Californian zest, all outer peel. Sweeter and less expensive than lemon peel, orange peel is a perfect addition to coffee cake, banana bread, waffle batter, cheesecake and muffins. Sprinkle on hot cereal or add to potpourri. To rehydrate: Use 3 parts water to 1 part peel, let stand 15 minutes. Substitute 1/3 as much dry as recipe calls for.	To make 1/4 cup of fresh-like onions: Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon onion into a measuring cup. Add 1/4 cup cool water. Let stand 15 minutes to rehydrate. Drain extra water.
	Oregano (species of Lippia, Origanum): A plant of the mint family and a species of marjoram of which the dried leaves are used to make an herb seasoning. Fresh oregano should be stored in your refrigerator, wrapped in paper towels and covered with a plastic bag. Mediterranean and Mexican oregano are two different plants, but because they are used in the same way and have a somewhat similar flavor they are both called oregano. Photo to the right. Mediterranean oregano grows wild on the hilly mountainsides of southern Europe and is an essential ingredient in so many of the dishes from the region. For Italian spaghetti sauces to Greek salads to Turkish kabobs, the sweet, strong flavor of Mediterranean oregano is perfect. Mexican oregano is stronger and less sweet, well-suited to the spicy, hot, cumin-flavored dishes of Mexico and Central America -- perfect for chili and salsa. Both types of oregano should be added in the beginning of cooking, so the flavor has time to come out and meld with the other flavors of the dish. Add while browning onions or beef for both spaghetti sauce and chili. Orris Root Powder: Use Orris root powder in sachets and other powdered aromatic uses, use pieces in potpourri to extend the life of scented oils. Orris root is typically used as a fixative for scented oils used in making potpourri and sachets. NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.	Flowering Oregano Plant
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