Preserve It! Building a spice from an herb

Za’atar is outright beautiful with spikes of deep purple flowers that will eventually go to seed, producing a delightful and flavorful herb. Photo by Gideon Pisanty, Wikimedia Commons

A local UC Master Food Preserver’s interest in herb use increased markedly when the words “limit sodium” presented itself in her health report. She had stopped cooking with salt many years ago due to her husband’s health issues and was cognizant of food labels and sodium amounts in their portion sizes. They stayed in the 2,000-2,500 mg range. Done. Right? Not really. Now, sodium amounts were suggested to be in the 1,000-1,500 mg range. Are you kidding? A challenge indeed.

Herbs and spices have now become her friends. She reads about them, grows or purchases them, experiments with new recipes and “doctors” old recipes. They certainly have made her new menu a lot more interesting and tastier.

A simple definition for herbs and spices is that they are both plant derived substances that add flavor to food. Spices generally come from bark, fruit, roots, flowers and seeds while herb sources are from the higher parts of the plant, specifically the leaves and (sometimes) stems. The main differences are origin and how they are processed. Herbs are easily grown in our gardens, while spices are in a more convenient form for purchase in a store, since many of these are from plants or trees not grown in this region or country. In her pursuit to perpetually learn, this Master Food Preserver found herbs and spices were used as far back as prehistoric times and have always been valuable in trade. Wars were fought and lands conquered for the value given to spices.

This personal herb hunt led her to many nurseries, both local as well as farther away from home. These establishments were all delightful sources for herbs and each offered learning experiences for her. And then it happened! She saw her first Za’atar plant, Thymbra spicata! It’s hard to explain Za’atar, as the fragrance is quite strong and reminded her of both oregano and thyme. The plant, a native of Turkey, is outright beautiful with spikes of deep purple flowers that will eventually go to seed, becoming a source of more Za’atar, if one is lucky and has botanical skills.

She had out-of-town visitors recently who were also lovers of plants, great cooks and very interested in this unique herb, Za’atar, in her garden. After a shopping trip to replenish groceries, her guests proudly handed her a little green box labeled Za’atar. Needless to say, she was stunned. Her rare herb in a commercial brand spice box? Seriously! It was appropriately described as “a traditional popular spice blend of the Middle East with a unique zesty flavor.” Ingredients were listed as sesame seeds, sumac, thyme and marjoram — no actual Za’atar. On a later trip to the grocery, she checked other brands of spices and found a small jar labeled Za’atar. This jar listed the spice blend as a mixture of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, oregano, marjoram, coriander, chili powder, cumin and sesame oil. The spice blends appeared to be attempts to duplicate the unique flavor profile of the plant. It surprised her to learn that she has an herb plant named Za’atar, as well as two different spice blends named Za’atar in her cupboard.

As her herb garden goes through the season, this Master Food Preserver will be dehydrating to preserve those flavors at their peak (including the Za’atar). Drying removes the moisture from the food so bacteria, molds and yeasts are less likely to grow. The optimum drying temperature for herbs is 95-115 degrees F. Safe food-handling practices are critical: clean food-contact surfaces of dehydrating equipment (with soapy water), sanitize equipment (with a bleach solution of 1 ½ teaspoons bleach per quart of water) and wash hands. After rinsing under running water, shake off excess moisture and place herbs in a single layer on trays. Drying time will vary from one to four hours. Read your dehydrator instructions for details. Herbs are dry when they crumble and stems break when bent. When herbs are crispy dry, place (whole or coarsely crumpled) in airtight containers and store in a cool, dry, dark area.

She has yet to cook with these new purchases but was too curious to not at least play with them. With pita bread, olive oil and one of the Za’atar blends, she gently stepped into the world of Mediterranean flavors.

Brush a pita with olive oil and sprinkle with Za’atar spice blend. (The amount to use is up to the cook. Since this was a first for the author, she was cautious with the sprinkling.) Put the embellished pita in the toaster oven or under the broiler until browned. Cut into small appetizer-size pieces.

The verdict? She says it’s excellent.

To maintain peak quality for Za’atar (and all) spice blends, keep them in airtight containers without a lot of extra air space and store them in a cool, dry, dark area to protect the color and fragrance.

Interested in learning about making your own spice blends? Save the date and join the UC Master Food Preservers for On the (Dry) Spicy-Herb Trail class, scheduled 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7. Get more information at ucanr.edu/mfpcs.

The UC Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County are a great resource for answers to food safety and preserving questions. Leave a message at (530) 621-5506 or email [email protected]. For more information about the program, events and recipes, visit ucanr.edu/edmfp. Sign up to receive the eNewsletter at ucanr.org/mfpcsenews. Find the group on Facebook, too (UCCE Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County).

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