What happens when you open your spice cabinet and stop thinking of herbs and spices as ingredients you simply add to a recipe—and start seeing them as tools for creating flavor?

That is what Spice Blend Day is all about.

Making a spice blend may seem simple, but it is a hands-on cooking lesson. Participants learn to identify flavors, combine ingredients, measure, taste, adjust, and decide what works best together. More importantly, they learn that cooking does not have to be complicated to be creative and enjoyable.

For many people, one of the biggest barriers to cooking at home isn’t knowing they should eat more nutritious foods. It is knowing how to prepare food that tastes good.

Herbs and spices can help bridge that gap.

Cooking Is a Skill—Not a Talent

We sometimes talk about cooking as though people either “know how to cook” or they don’t. Cooking is a set of skills that can be learned and practiced.

Knowing how to measure ingredients is a skill. Knowing how to use a knife safely is a skill. Knowing how to read a recipe is a skill. And knowing how to season food is a skill.

Spice Blend Day gives participants an opportunity to practice that last skill.

Start experimenting with herbs rather than worrying about whether there is one “correct” way to use them. Start with a small amount, taste the food, and adjust the seasoning. That is part of the learning process.

This is an important cooking lesson: You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing before you start. You can taste, learn, and adjust. That is how cooking confidence develops.

Herbs and Spices Are Flavor-Building Tools

Herbs and spices give cooks a way to change a dish’s flavor without altering the basic ingredients.

Consider a simple bowl of roasted vegetables. The vegetables can stay the same, but the seasoning can completely change the experience.

Try these combinations:

Italian-inspired: Basil + oregano + garlic
Southwestern-inspired: Cumin + chili powder + paprika
Garden herb: Rosemary + thyme + parsley
Bright and fresh: Dill + parsley + lemon zest

The possibilities are nearly endless. Some examples of herbs and the foods they complement include basil with tomatoes and beans; thyme with poultry and vegetables; rosemary with potatoes and poultry; oregano with tomato dishes and beans; and dill with potatoes, fish, cucumbers, and vegetables.

These combinations aren’t rigid rules. They are starting points. And that is where the fun begins.

There Isn’t Always a Right or Wrong Answer

New cooks can sometimes be afraid to experiment. “What if I use the wrong spice?” “What if I don’t like it?” “What if I mess up the recipe?”

Spice blends offer a relatively low-risk way to experiment.

Start with a small amount. Taste. Think about what you like. Add a little more. Taste again.

UF/IFAS Extension encourages cooks to be adventurous with herbs and spices, recommending they start with small amounts and adjust to taste.

This process teaches more than seasoning. It teaches problem-solving in the kitchen. If the food is bland, what could it need? More herbs? A little acid from lemon juice or vinegar? More garlic? A little heat? Perhaps it needs another flavor altogether?

Cooking becomes an experiment rather than simply following instructions.

Fresh or Dried? Both Have a Place in the Kitchen

Fresh herbs can provide a bright, fresh flavor. Dried herbs are convenient, concentrated, and easy to keep in the pantry.

They are not always interchangeable in equal amounts. As a general guideline, dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs. When substituting, use about one-third as much dried herb as fresh. For example, 1 teaspoon of dried herb is approximately equivalent to 1 tablespoon of fresh herb.

Creating Your Own Spice Blend

There isn’t a single perfect formula for creating a spice blend. Start by considering the food you want to flavor and the flavor you want to create.

A Simple Garden Herb Blend

Parsley
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Garlic powder

This blend works well with roasted vegetables, potatoes, beans, pasta, poultry, or grains.

Southwestern-Inspired Blend

Chili powder
Cumin
Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper

Try it with beans, rice, vegetables, chicken, or roasted potatoes.

Salt-Free All-Purpose Blend

Garlic powder
Onion powder
Parsley
Thyme
Dill
Paprika
Black pepper
Lemon peel

Create salt-free herb blends and use herbs and spices to add flavor without relying solely on salt.

The important thing isn’t following a recipe perfectly. The important thing is learning how to create a flavor you enjoy.

Cooking Can Help Us Eat More Variety

When people have the skills and confidence to prepare food, they have more options.

A bag of vegetables doesn’t have to be boring. It can become roasted vegetables seasoned with garlic and rosemary. A can of beans can become part of a flavorful rice bowl with cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. A simple baked potato can become a meal with herbs, vegetables, beans, or other toppings.

A healthy lifestyle emphasizes using herbs and spices to create flavorful meals, incorporating more vegetables, and developing practical cooking techniques.

The lesson is simple: Healthy ingredients still need to taste good. Knowing how to make them taste good is a cooking skill.

Bring the Garden Into the Kitchen

For Florida residents, herbs also offer a way to connect gardening with cooking.

Many culinary herbs can be grown in Florida, including basil, cilantro, rosemary, mint, sage, thyme, and lemongrass.

Growing herbs can be as simple as planting a few in containers.

Imagine a small herb garden with basil, rosemary, thyme, and cilantro. Instead of thinking of the garden and kitchen as separate activities, they become part of the same process:

Plant → Grow → Harvest → Cook → Eat

That connection can help people understand where their food comes from while encouraging them to use fresh ingredients in everyday cooking.

Don’t Let an Old Spice Cabinet Discourage You

Dried herbs and spices are convenient, but they don’t retain peak flavor forever.

They generally don’t become unsafe just because they are old, but their aroma and flavor decline over time.

If you open a container and can barely smell the spice, it may not add much flavor to your food.

Store dried herbs and spices in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dry place. UF/IFAS Extension recommends protecting them from heat, moisture, and other conditions that can reduce quality.

A good time to clean out the spice cabinet is when you are preparing to create your own blends. Check what you have. Smell it. Look at the color. Decide what needs to be replaced. You may discover that you already have everything you need to start experimenting.

Cooking Is About Confidence

The next time you open your spice cabinet, don’t just ask, “What recipe uses this?”

Ask: “What could I make with this?”

Pick an herb or spice. Smell it. Consider which foods it might complement. Start with a small amount. Taste. Adjust. Try again.

That’s cooking.

The more we practice, the more confident we become.

Cooking isn’t something you either know how to do or don’t. It’s a skill you can learn, practice, and enjoy.

By: Elizabeth Shephard

References

Johnson, J. (2017, September 3). Herbs and spices: Colorful and delicious! UF/IFAS Extension Duval County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/duvalco/2017/09/03/fun-facts-herbs-spices/

Lee, D. (2019, May 31). Getting to know herbs. UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2019/05/31/getting-to-know-herbs/

McAlpine, M. (2019, August 26). Herbs and spices and health benefits. UF/IFAS Extension Nassau County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco/2019/08/26/herbs-and-spices-and-health-benefits/

Osgood, L. (2017, October 13). Spice up your cooking with fresh herbs. UF/IFAS Extension Gadsden County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/gadsdenco/2017/10/13/nutritious-meals/

Penn State Extension. (n.d.). Let’s cook at home: Herbs and spices. The Pennsylvania State University. https://extension.psu.edu/lets-cook-at-home-herbs-and-spices

University of Florida IFAS Extension. (2013, May 16). Experiment when cooking with herbs. UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nfrec/2013/05/16/experiment-when-cooking-with-herbs/

University of Florida IFAS Extension. (2017, December 1). An introduction to herbs in Florida. UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/volusiaco/2017/12/01/introduction-herbs-florida/

University of Florida IFAS Extension. (2017, August 31). Spice things up with alternative seasonings. UF/IFAS Extension Wakulla County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/wakullaco/2017/08/31/spice-things-up-with-alternative-seasonings/

University of Florida IFAS Extension. (2021, February 28). 4 ways to reduce sodium in your diet. UF/IFAS Extension Putnam County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/putnamco/2021/02/28/4-ways-to-reduce-sodium-in-your-diet/