Popular Spice Mixes and Spice Mix Tools

Humans have been using spices almost as long as they've been eating. Just as classic recipes evolved, so did spice blends. By making your own mixes, you can adjust flavors to suit your personal needs. From curry powders to dessert mixes, I've selected many recipes for spice blends you can mix up at home.

Popular Spice Blends

Probably the most widely-recognized spice blend is curry powder. Curries can contain as little as two or three different spices or up to fifty or more.

There is no set amount or ingredient list for most spice mixtures. They have evolved based on personal tastes and should always be adjusted to suit your own needs.

There are literally hundreds of spice mix combinations on the market, including the most common. This handy Spice Mix Reference Chart gives basic ingredients for some widely-used spice blends.

Spice Mix Tools

If you plan on making your own spice blends at home, you will want to invest in an electric spice grinder. Luckily, they are inexpensive. If you should have difficulty finding a spice grinder for some odd reason, you can also use a electric coffee grinder with equal success. You should be able to find either for around $15 and surely under $25.

Do not make the mistake of using a coffee grinder for both spices and coffee. No amount of cleaning in between will keep coffee flavor from your spices nor spices from your coffee.

You can also crack peppercorns and other whole spices by placing them in a freezer bag on a cutting board and pounding with the bottom side of a heavy skillet.

Of course, you can always resort to grinding by hand with a mortar and pestle.

More About Spice Mixes and Spice Mix Recipes:

• Spice Mix Storage and Cooking Tips
• Spice Mix Tools and Popular Blends
• Spice Mix Reference Chart
• Herb and Spice Chart
• Spice Mix Recipes
_{Spice Mix Photo © 2007 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.}