Juniper berries are not really berries, but the seed cone of an evergreen tree that is found all over the world.
Used as a spice in many cultures, juniper berries are traditionally used to flavor sauerkraut dishes such as choucroute garnie from Germany and the Alsace region of France. The "berries" are usually crushed before use since the flavoring resins are inside the berry and not in the exterior skin.
Mentioned in literature as far back as Roman times, juniper berries were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
If you have the option, choose whole nutmeg over ground. Store the nutmeg in an air-tight container in a dark cupboard at room temperature. Heat, moisture and light will speed up the deterioration of the volatile oils that give nutmeg its distinctive flavor. When properly stored, nutmeg will be keep for at least a year.
Nutmeg is best when it's freshly grated. We prefer to use a microplane zester (like one of the ones shown above) to prep nutmeg. (There are all sorts of fine graters available for use with nutmeg; some of them are even designed specifically for that use.)
To prep nutmeg, simply rub the nut over the grater (being careful to keep your fingers away from the grater) into a small bowl. The outer skin is not as flavorful as the oily interior that it protects, but the outside grates easily and is fine to include.
The choice between ground nutmeg and whole nutmeg is an easy one: always go with the whole nut and freshly grate it as needed.
Ground nutmeg may smell and taste great the first time, but once the container is opened, the quality will start to deteriorate as the spice's volatile oils are exposed to oxygen. Whole nutmeg won't last forever, but properly stored you can squeeze a good year out of it with no noticeable loss of flavor.
The nutmeg that we use in the kitchen is the inner nut or seed of the nutmeg fruit.
The evergreen tree that produces the fruit is native to southern Asia and parts of the south Pacific. It produces both nutmeg and mace.
Here's how it happens: when the nutmeg fruit is ripe, it splits open to reveal mace-covered seed. The red or orange mace is removed and dried. The seed is then dried for a couple of months, until the nutmeg can be heard rattling around inside the shell. The seed is then cracked to produce the small egg-shaped nutmeg. Whole nutmegs will keep for months if properly stored in a cool, dark cupboard.
How do nutmeg and mace compare? Nutmeg has a stronger, more rounded flavor than mace, which is often likened to both cinnamon and pepper. In a pinch, you can substitute one for the other.
What can I substitute for nutmeg?
What can I substitute for nutmeg?
The best substitute for nutmeg is mace, the red membrane that surrounds nutmeg when harvested. Though it's a bit more delicate in flavor and lacks nutmeg's bittersweetness, mace will work in a pinch.
Cinnamon is brighter, sweeter and less woodsy than nutmeg, but it fills in nicely in smaller amounts. Allspice and garam masala are both reminiscent of several spices, and will also work in place of nutmeg in small amounts.
What's the difference between cinnamon and nutmeg?
What's the difference between cinnamon and nutmeg?
Nutmeg is the seed of a fruit and cinnamon is made from the bark of a tree. When purchased whole, both are easily identifiable as such. When ground, nutmeg is a speckled brown, coarse-grained powder, while cinnamon is usually finer in texture and a brighter rust color.
In terms of flavor, nutmeg is warm, aromatic and deeply woodsy with flavors of camphor and clove. Nutmeg often gives a subtle background lift to rich dishes like gratins and other rich, creamy dishes.
Cinnamon, while similarly aromatic with hints of clove, is more floral and sweeter than nutmeg. It has a brighter almost citrusy tinge. Cinnamon tends to stand out more than nutmeg in both sweet and savory dishes.
