Category: Basil

Why Just The Tip Isn't Enough

6/13/2018

Exotic flavors and spices never cease to amaze well seasoned tasting palettes. Cocktail consumers and creators crave ways to gain knowledge and grow their ever-expanding tasting palette.

Learning how to prepare and preserve unusual ingredients is essential to successful execution of new recipes with out-of the-norm components. The spruce tip is one versatile flavor that will not disappoint as long as it is prepared properly.

Graspin' Aspen is a twist on an Old Fashioned that will make you question which Colorado Rocky you've just finished skiing.

Flavor Profile

A spruce tip by itself will pack a powerful, almost uncomfortable, punch! Although the spruce tip flavor profile is expectedly piney, tasters might be surprised by the range of its profile. Most tips definitely offer a crisp, citrusy, and herbaceous flavor. However, most consumers fail to anticipate the slightly sweet taste this plant also has to offer. Experienced gatherers are quick to note that tip flavors vary immensely, even from tree to tree.

Gathering & Storing

Fresh spruce tips come in a spectrum of green to yellow hues and are in season near late spring, with later blooming in cooler climates. Tips are soft, flexible, and with a bit of resin on the branch. Often they are shedding the papery brown sheath that once encased them. A sheath still attached indicates the tip is young; the sheath should be removed before any cooking or preserving preparations. They can be stored for about one month in a cool, dry environment such as the refrigerator. Alternatively, they can be dried or processed as a syrup, but the future usage options are tremendously limited after these processes.

Preservation & Consumption

Fresh: Spruce tips can be served in a variety of ways from completely unaltered to totally transformed. Simply adding tips to a salad (think of the potency of arugula or basil) will have an awesome and visually stunning impact, although it might be a bit too much when consumed in one whole bite. Chopping the tips will reduce the potential to overwhelm the tastebuds, but it will also lessen the way the eyes perceive the ingredient as well.

Fresh Preparation and Storage: Remove any debris and small brown casings from the tips. Pack fresh tips in a plastic zipper bag after wrapping them in a slightly damp paper towel. Store in refrigerator up to one month, changing the paper towel every few days.

Dried: Dried tips can be stored up to six months in a cool, dry, airtight container and will last even longer when combined with traditional preservation methods such as sugar or salt. To produce either spruce sugar or spruce salt, finely chop fresh (still moist) spruce tips and mix with an equal part of raw sugar OR coarse salt. I allowed mine to macerate overnight (turning them several times) so the oils from the needles would absorb into the mixture. Note: The sugar will turn the mixture to a notably darker greenish-brown color. Then, spread the mixture onto a dry flat surface, occasionally stirring and breaking up any clumps. Once dry, it has been recommended to grind the mixture to a finer grain, but the choice is completely up to you. Tips dried alone may be used for teas or infusions but this is not the best method of imparting flavor as after the moisture is removed from the tips they retain much less of their original flavor.

Dried Preparation and Storage: Allow tips (chopped or whole) to sit out until all moisture is removed. (Using a dehydrator is not recommended.) Pack dried tips in a plastic zipper bag or airtight glass container and store in cool, dry location.

The Vesperado riffs on the classic ratio of a Vesper while imparting the high octane flavor of agave spirits. Here it's rimmed with spruce tip salt to bring out the salinity and minerality of the agave spirits.

Syrup: A simple syrup alone is a great way to add interesting flavor to things like berry pancakes or pecan pie. Syrup infusions can also be added to emphasize an already herbaceous cocktail or lend a more botanical flavor to an existing cocktail. Consider substituting spruce syrup for simple syrup in a Tom Collins.

Syrup Preparation and Storage: Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil. Add 2 cups spruce tips and remove from heat. For more intense flavor, allow syrup to sit overnight. Double strain syrup into glass container. Store in refrigerator for up to one month.

So, whether you like your tip a little sweet, or a little salty, ensure its longevity by employing a preservation method; and for goodness sake, wrap that thing up!

Basil vodka, mixed citrus, and the provocative flavor of spruce tip syrup will have your tastebuds going bonkers!

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The Foreplay of Cocktails: Garnish

1/16/2018

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"A proper garnish can improve your drink’s perceived value by $2 to $3" Betty Cocktail

Citrus

Baked citrus come alive with spices and seasoning. Shown here: tattooed oranges sprinkled with Pumpkin Sugar by Spaulding Specialty Spices.

The twist on this champagne cocktail gives it's drinker a bright aroma with each sip.

Citrus naturally enhances the flavor of most cocktails. Decide before your event if your drink calls for a simple zest (as in an Old Fashioned or Cosmopolitan), or a more powerful contribution like a squeeze from a wedge (as in a vodka soda or Moscow Mule). Wedges are largely irrelevant in most craft cocktails because if you are cocktailing correctly, your drink is balanced and needs no additional citrus.
PRO PREP TIP: Tattoo citrus with a zester ahead of time for a classy, architectural look.
PRO SERVING TIP: Think beyond lemon and lime; incorporate orange, grapefruit, and even tangerine or kumquat. A fanned array of citrus wheels is attractive and functional.
PRO STORAGE TIP: Cut citrus should be stored in tall cylinders, leaving the least amount of citrus juice in the container, as this is what causes browning and aging of the rind.

Herbs

Parsley on top of this easy vodka cooler gives the drinker a preview of what's to come. Parsley can be shaken into or muddled in the simplest of drinks to give them a savory and fresh flavor.

Basil and mint foreshadow the herbaceous qualities of this Square One Basil Vodka. The aromatics of basil and mint atop a cocktail can be enough to alter the flavor of the cocktail.

Herbs are best harvested or purchased hours before the event; many grocery stores today sell living pots of plants like rosemary, basil, mint, and thyme. Research the type of herb you plan to use and which method of storage will allow it to thrive the longest. Some plants perk up with ice baths while others enjoy fresh air. When considering edible flowers be sure to purchase only food grade flowers. Although florists may carry flowers that are biologically deemed edible, often they are treated with pesticides and other artificial ingredients that are not fit for human consumption.
PRO PREP TIP: Avoid cutting stems with metal knives as this creates considerable 'rusting' at the cut site and will cause plants to deteriorate faster. If you feel you must cut a ceramic knife is a better alternative.
PRO SERVING TIP: A gentle 'spank' to most leafy herbs will stimulate them just enough to increase their aromas while not damaging their gentle leaves. More dense herbs like rosemary are awakened with heat or pressure.
PRO STORAGE TIP: A dampened napkin atop most herbs (such as mint or basil) can help to lengthen their lifespan, Thyme stands alone in this instance. Wetness will actually cause thyme to brown and age faster.

Berries

Berries are colorful, affordable, impactful, and readily available nearly all year long. Choosing seasonal berries is budget friendly and sensible. You may find that berries help your cocktail to reflect the mood of the event; in fact, most berries also reflect the fashion choices people make during that time of year. (Think of cranberries during the winter months, or strawberries in the summer.)
PRO PREP TIP: Most whole berries can be skewered ahead of time to make garnish a breeze. Do avoid cutting berries too far in advance as the texture can soften and colors can bleed.
PRO SERVING TIP: Berries are beautiful alone, or with other herbs, vegetables, or fruits. To make the most out of your berries, try to use them in a way that helps their color stand out. For example red against green in a raspberry and basil drink or blue against yellow in a blueberry Lemon Drop. Use skewers to keep berries from getting lost in cocktails.
PRO STORAGE TIP: Rinsing berries with fresh water will help to wash off any mold spores which may have landed on the fruit during transport. Store berries in the same containers you purchase them in. Tiny slits and holes are designed to help fruits breathe and last longer.

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Berries & Basil Belong on your Stoop this Summer

6/20/2017

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Summer is the ultimate time to use fresh citrus and all those herbs and berries you've harvested from your garden. Romantic red raspberries and bold basil levitate this lemonade into the perfect front stoop sipper.

You'll need tools:
collins glass
shaker tin
knife & cutting board
muddler
julep strainer
fine strainer (optional)

You'll need booze & fruit:
1.5 oz gin
1 oz St~Germain
1 lemon
4-5 raspberries
3-4 basil leaves

Betty recommends New Amsterdam gin because of it's light, playful, citrus notes. Find your favorite collins glass and stick it in the freezer while you prepare this cocktail.
In shaker, softly muddle 3-4 raspberries & 2-3 leaves basil. Squeeze half lemon into shaker tin (use caution to remove the seeds first). Add your spirits (Gin & St~Germain). Shake. Strain over fresh ice in chilled collins glass. Betty loves a little pulp in her cocktail, but for those more refined a fine strain is recommended.

Garnish with raspberry and expressed basil leaf (give the basil a little pat to allow the fragrance to be emitted). Place straw directly next to garnish. Find good friend; repeat cocktail instructions; escort said friend with cocktail to sunny stoop; enjoy life.

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Why Just The Tip Isn't Enough

Flavor Profile

Gathering & Storing

Preservation & Consumption

The Foreplay of Cocktails: Garnish

Citrus

Herbs

Berries

Berries & Basil Belong on your Stoop this Summer

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