UNUSED HERBS IN YOUR KITCHEN?

It has been reported that 13% of stingy Brits admit to having herbs and spices in their kitchen cupboards that are more than four years old.  The report says that we keep £240m of unused herbs in our kitchens. When it comes to throwing away herbs and spices, it seems the British just can't do it. Have you got lots of unused herbs filling you kitchen storage spaces?

It is something most of us are guilty of, I know I am! Buying an unusual herb or spice for a specific recipe, then putting the jar at the back of a cupboard and never using it again is a common occurrence, it seems. However, the sheer extent of Britain’s herb hoarding, however, has now been revealed for the first time. A study by kitchen electronics company Kenwood found that there is a staggering £240m worth of unused herbs and spies sitting in kitchens throughout the UK.  Even though herbs and spices quickly lose their potency, it seems that we also can’t bear to throw an unfinished jar away, with 13% of our nation admitting to owning herbs that are more than four years old. The research found that the average homeowner has 10 different herbs and spices in the kitchen, with the four most-used being basil, chilli, oregano and coriander.

Although Britain certainly has a taste for foreign food – as sales of curries and Chinese food outsell fish and chips – the survey suggests that few of us are confident when it comes to cooking exotic dishes in our own kitchens. The average survey respondent only knew how to cook four foreign dishes, while 17% (one in six of us) could cook no more than one international dish. Seb Goff, Kenwood's trade marketing manager, said: "We were staggered how many millions of pounds worth of herbs and spices are going to waste.
We know Brits continually embrace new flavours and cuisines, but it seems we're not confident enough to experiment with them in our own homes."

Maybe its now time to take up the challenge and throw out those out-of-date herbs and use up those ten most common herbs and spices at the back of your larder - basil, chilli,  oregano, coriander, ginger, rosemary, paprika, parsley, cinnamon and thyme.

I'll try and help-out in future blogs!