On Thu, 20 May 2010 13:36:02 +1000, Jeßus > wrote:

>On Wed, 19 May 2010 13:19:07 -0700, Robert Klute >
>wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>>I go through coriander seed faster than anything else in my Indian
>>cooking. Most Indian spices I store as whole seed, in glass jars in
>>dark cupboards. They will keep for years that way. The only ground
>>spices I tend to keep are cumin, coriander, tumeric, and whatever garam
>>masala blend I am fond of at the time.
>
>Why do you buy cumin and coriander ground when you generally prefer
>whole seeds? Just curious.

When the spice doesn't need roasting, the pre-ground spice is convenient
and when fresh it has the same flavor as just ground. Also, the texture
of the pre-ground spice is often a finer, more consistent grind than
grinding it yourself. This will affect the taste of some dishes. I
usually don't get more than 8 oz of the pre-ground spices at a time -
enough for 2 - 3 months. Lastly, when cooking some dishes for a party,
the amount of cumin and coriander required is more than I want to grind
by hand.


>I've gone to the 'ol mortar and pestle this year for almost all
>spices. Favourite spices at this time a cumin, nutmeg, coriander,
>juniper, dill and peppercorns. It really does make a difference to
>grind them as you need 'em.