In article >,
Robert Klute > wrote:

> 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.
>
> I go through ginger fast enough that I keep a couple of 'fingers' in a
> ziplock bag in the fridge. Still, I also keep a 'back up' bag in the
> freezer. BTW, in my experience, ginger will keep for a year wrapped in
> plastic in the freezer. Saffron will also keep a long time in the
> freezer. I put some Kashmiri saffron in the freezer 3 years ago that I
> only use on special occasions and it is still better than Spanish.
>
> My basic spice box (masala dhabba) for dry Indian spices is cumin,
> corriander seed, tumeric, brown mustard seed, cayenne/ground red chilli,
> cardamom, black pepper.
>
> Add to that dry red Indian chillis, fenugreek, kasoori methi (fenugreek
> leaves), cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, asafoetida (hing), fennel seed,
> black salt, sesame seed, amchoor, and saffron to round out what is in
> the cupboard.
>
> Non-dry ingredients are groundnut (peanut) oil, ghee (clarified butter),
> Tamarind paste, cashews, almonds, raisins, and dates.
>
> Fresh ingrediants include cilantro, onion, ginger, garlic, green chiles,
> lemon/lime, and mint.

I do use fresh whenever it suits my palate, and am considering
dedicating some refrigerator space to my own fresh dried herbs.

With the Hobart, I actually do have space. I just have to figure out
the best way to store herb containers with reasonable space usage and
ease of access.

Abuse of the Hobart unit could cost me a $1,200 compressor!
--
Peace! Om

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