Toasting Spices

Many toasting whole spices and seeds will generously repay a light toasting just before they are used. Simply place them is a single layer in a dry skillet and heat them over medium high heat, shaking the pan or moving the spice around with a wooden spoon until you get the first whiff of their wonderful fragrances.

Remove them from the pan quickly so they do not burn. When they have cooled, grind them in a mortar or a spice mill. It is best to toast different spices separately, because they may require different toasting times; however, they can all be ground together.

Saffron threads should also be toasted before they are pulverized and added to the dry ingredients of a dish, or steeped in a warm liquid.

Because these delicate stigmas and styles can burn sop easily, it is safest just to put them on a ovenproof saucer set over a small pan of billing water until they are crisp.

They can be crushed easily in a mortar or with the back of a spoon; if your recipe is for a sweet, you can add one-fourth teaspoon or sugar, whose granules help cut up the threads as you crush them. Add a little salt for the same purpose of you making a savory dish.
Toasting Spices