One of the most potent of the flower spices, cloves are harvested from a tropical evergreen tree with fragrant leaves. Cloves are dried flower buds, picked just before they blossom. Whole, dried cloves resemble small nails, thus their name is derived from the Latin word Clavus, which means nail. Clove spice has a wide variety of uses ranging from culinary to medical, and can be one of the most expensive spices to purchase.
Tastes
Cloves have a strong taste, often described as peppery, edgy rich and sweet. Eating a whole clove can actually numb or burn the palate, so it’s best to exercise caution. Similar to allspice, cloves contain eugenol, an essential oil which is the source of the aroma.
Pairing Spices
Allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, star anise, tamarind, turmeric.
Substitutions
Allspice can be substituted for cloves in many recipes
- 1 tsp whole cloves = 3/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cloves = 1 tsp allspice
Complements
Apples, oranges, lemon, beets, red cabbage, onions, pumpkin, pickles, ham, pork, game, chocolate, mulled wine.
Culinary Uses
Recipes using Cloves
Considered a sweet baking spice in the West, cloves make an appearance in pumpkin pie and many other traditional dishes. They are also popular for barbecue and as a pickling spice. Whole cloves are often used to enhance the holiday ham, and are also known to bring out the flavor of beef. Adding a clove or a pinch of ground cloves is a great way to pep up a beef stew but the flavor is strong, so use sparingly.
Buying and Storing
Buy cloves that are clean and intact. Good cloves have a dark brown color with reddish stems, and are easy to snap. Stay away from short clove size sticks which are most likely made from the stems. Cloves lose their volatile oil quickly once ground. The best way to ensure freshness is to buy whole cloves and grind them yourself as needed. Cloves are hard, an electric grinder will be handier than a mortar and pestle. If kept in an airtight container away from light and humidity, whole cloves will last for up to a year. Ground cloves are mostly available in supper markets. Whole cloves can be purchased online or from spice specialty stores. Clove essential oils are usually available in vitamin or healthy food store, or online:
Health Benefits of Clove Oil
Clove essential oil has many medicinal qualities.
- Nature’s pain killer: As mentioned previously, cloves can have a numbing effect and are often used as pain killers. Clove oil exerts an anti-inflammatory power which makes it a good treatment for toothaches and gum disease. Simply place a drop of the oil on the affect area.
- Fight infections: Eugenol in the clove contains properties to fight bacteria and virus, especially those causing ulcers, cold sores and herpes. It can also used as a remedy for upset stomach, halitosis and intestinal gas.
- Stop blood clots: Researches has found that eugenol is as effective as two blood thinning medications, aspirin and indocin (indomethacin).
- Clove oil uses for skin: Clove essential oil
is a natural remedy for dry skin. Simply spread the oil in liquid form on your skin using a clean rag. The oil has properties to stimulate skin and increase blood flow. No wonder it is used in many skin care products for rejuvenating skin.
- In addition, cloves are an excellent source of manganese, vitamin K and dietary fiber.
Caution:
- As stated above, cloves have proven useful in preventing blood clots, but the eugenol contained in clove oils may increase the chances of bruising and bleeding for people with blood disorders.
