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Fresh kitchen herbs unfold a much more intense aroma than dry spices – and you can grow them yourself. Here is our top 10 list for refining your food.

What would tomato and mozzarella be without basil leaves or pizza sauce without oregano? Freshly cut kitchen herbs give your dishes a lot of flavor. On top of that, you can be sure that no pesticides will get into your home-grown herb.

Top 10 list of kitchen herbs: treats with medicinal properties

There are hundreds of different kitchen herbs and so the list of personal favorites will vary greatly for everyone. The following selection of kitchen spices will give you inspiration for your own kitchen.

The biennial parsley is one of the most popular herbs in German kitchens. So that it does not lose its spicy-intensive aroma, it should be cooked for a maximum of a short time. The spice from the umbelliferae group is extremely rich in vitamins and is said to be good for the bladder and digestion. Parsley grows best in bright locations without direct sunlight. You should avoid waterlogging.
The strong, spicy chives not only refine dishes with their slight spiciness, but are also said to keep pests away in the garden due to their strong smell. For a bountiful harvest, you should remove the flowers regularly and divide the plant every spring as it needs space to grow.
Dill is a spicy-tart, slightly sweet kitchen herb. It is particularly suitable for the preparation of fish and salads. The annual umbellifer needs sufficient moisture for its growth and you can harvest it continuously from a growth height of 15 centimeters.
The refreshing, aromatic basil goes well with refining tomatoes and salads. However, the plants available in the supermarket usually do not last long because they are planted far too closely together in nutrient-poor soil. It is best to repot the basil into a larger pot or into the garden immediately after purchase.
Oregano is a staple pizza spice for most. The essential oregano oil can have an antibacterial effect on wounds. If you want to plant oregano yourself, you should pay attention to a warm and sunny place. As with all kitchen herbs, it is important to keep sufficient distance between the individual plants.
The spicy, slightly smoky thyme is particularly suitable for Mediterranean dishes and can help as a home remedy for coughs. Thyme likes it dry, sunny and occasional fertilization.
Mint not only freshens breath as a tea, but also gives sauces, marinades and desserts a piquant, spicy-fresh note. You can also use it for homemade lemonade. As a kitchen herb, it likes partial shade, well fertilized and moist.
Lemon balm leaves are known as a calming tea. But the lemony-tasting medicinal herb is also suitable for refining sweet and savory dishes. The perennial kitchen spice likes it sunny and nutritious. You should avoid waterlogging.


The sour-fruity taste of sage is ideal for vegetarian dishes. Sage also has an anti-inflammatory effect and is popular as a tea during the cold season. The spice likes it sunny and dry.
Lemongrass is a herb from Asian cuisine and gives dishes a lemony aroma. So that it grows well in the kitchen, you can use potting soil mixed with a little sand as a substrate. Lemongrass likes it bright and moist, but it does not tolerate waterlogging.

As soon as it gets warmer, the annoying fruit flies reappear. The little mosquitoes gather around the fruit basket or sweet drinks and buzz around the kitchen. They quickly become a real plague. With our tips, you can take effective action against fruit flies and put an end to the mosquito plague in the kitchen.

Build fruit fly traps yourself

With liquids, the small insects can be easily caught and fought quickly and easily. For the self-made trap, mix some vinegar and fruit juice with water in a ratio of 2 to 1 and add a few drops of washing-up liquid. The fruit flies are attracted by the sweet mixture, the washing-up liquid means they can no longer stay on the water surface and drown. A similar effect can be achieved with denture or braces cleaner. The intensely smelling olive herb as a bouquet hung in the kitchen is also said to drive away fruit flies.

Get rid of fruit flies

The most important measure to take against the mosquito plague is not to leave ripe fruit and vegetables lying around in the open. The fruits release ethylene during the ripening process, which in turn accelerates the ripening process of the other fruits. Apples and tomatoes in particular release large amounts of this gas.

In order to rid the kitchen of attractants and fermenting gases, regular ventilation is essential. It is also helpful to dispose of the organic waste more frequently than usual, especially in the summer months, as this can create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Where do the fruit flies come from?

The fruit flies, also called fruit, cider, or vinegar flies, are yellow-brown with bright red eyes and three to four millimeters in size. (They are not to be confused with the small black mosquitoes, so-called fungus gnats, which, however, prefer to stay in moist potting soil.) The fruit flies prefer to use overripe fruit or vegetables as their breeding grounds, whereby the damaged areas and stalk attachments are particularly popular. This is where the mosquitoes lay their eggs so that the larvae are immediately supplied with enough food after hatching. The residual waste, organic waste, or unsealed leftovers also attract the fruit midges.

The most effective measures at a glance

With the following tips you should get the mosquito plague in the kitchen under control:

  • Homemade traps made from apple cider vinegar, fruit juice, and dish soap.
  • Braces or denture cleaner
  • Holy or olive herb
  • Carnivorous plants, such as butterwort
  • Prevention: Regular airing
  • Avoidance of breeding sites: Frequent disposal of organic or residual waste
  • Do not leave overripe fruit, vegetables, or other leftover food lying around

You’ve probably heard of Nitrous Oxide before. It is commonly known as laughing gas because it has the unique ability to make humans laugh when it is breathed in. It is also great for controlling pain, which is why many doctors and dentists have used it on patients undergoing minor procedures over the years. What you might not know, however, is that Nitrous Oxide can also be used to great effect in the kitchen.

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Many high-end restaurants regularly order canisters of Nitrous Oxide to use in their cooking, and it is much more versatile than you might think.

If your mind is boggling wondering what exactly you can use it for in the kitchen, here are a few ideas of what is possible:

1. Fluffier Belgian Waffles

Nitrous Oxide in the Kitchen

Cannisters of food grade Nitrous Oxide, like those provided by Smartwhip, can be used to make your Belgian waffles even fluffier than before. Usually, you have to very carefully whip a bunch of egg whites just before cooking to get a fluffy waffle, and it’s really easy to get it wrong. However, if you add a little Nitrous Oxide into the mix, it will significantly lighten your batter for perfectly fluffy pancakes every time.

2. Make your own “spray” cheese

Remember when you were young, and you used to get that cheese in a can that you could spray onto crackers or make funny faces with on your plate? If you have a canister of food grade Nitrous Oxide, you can make your own grown-up version by simply melting the cheese of your choice and adding a touch of Nitrous oxide into the mix. It’ll definitely taste better than the store-bought stuff!

3. Amazing whipped frosting

If you have a sweet tooth, then you can also put Nitrous Oxide to good use in the kitchen, this time in the form of the lightest, fluffiest frosting you have ever tasted. Simply take some heavy cream and add Nitrous Oxide. Then, whisk in gelatine and powdered sugar before leaving to set. Once it’s done, it will be the lightest frosting you’ve ever produced, and your cakes and pastries will be more impressive than ever thanks to your new secret weapon.

4. Lighter Hollandaise

Hollandaise sauce is rich and delicious, but many people find it too heavy to eat regularly. If you are one of them, you will be pleased to know that you can produce a Hollandaise that is every bit as delicious, but a whole lot lighter, simply by using Nitrous Oxide to aerate your usual recipe. As well as producing a lighter sauce, it will also cut the calories by around 50 percent which means it will be better for your waistline too.

As you can see, food-grade Nitrous Oxide is a really useful addition to the kitchen, it can cut calories and make your favorite recipes better than ever before. Just make sure that you use always source and use food-grade Nitrous Oxide and that you buy from a trusted supplier.