Spice Question???

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tjohnson

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So, I've followed some sausage recipes, and found the following spices in various combinations

Ginger

Mace

Nutmeg

AllSpice

My questions.......

Are these spices interchangeable?

Are they similar in flavor?

Are some stronger than others?

Why use one over the other?

Ginger can be overpowering for me, so I've substituted AllSpice with good results

Todd
 
Mace is similar to nutmeg, but a bit milder. It's the outer hull of nutmeg.
Allspice has hints of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Ginger is the odd man out on your list (it's a bit pungent), but they all can pretty much be substituted for each other depending on your taste.
 
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For whatever reason, any Ginger is too much ginger for me

Cloves also are too strong for me

I now know Mace and Nutmeg are similar and probably interchangeable

THX!

TJ
 
It is pretty common to sub Allspice for Mace, Nutmeg and/or Clove. But I have to agree with the Dog, Ginger is unique although its Floral notes can be approximated with a bit of Cardamom, this is done in Baking...JJ
 
Todd

careful with the ginger, its a natural tenderizer and can make the meat feel mushy. not saying not to use. if the recipe calls for like 1/2 tsp, make it a level 1/2 tsp.
 
So, if a recipe calls for 1 tsp. of Mace, would it be reasonable to substitute 1/2 tsp. of Nutmeg?

I have a big jar of Nutmeg, and no Mace.

Todd
 
So, if a recipe calls for 1 tsp. of Mace, would it be reasonable to substitute 1/2 tsp. of Nutmeg?

I have a big jar of Nutmeg, and no Mace.

Todd
That would not be unreasonable...JJ
 
 
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Much will depend on the quality of the spices too, the flavor can vary wildly.

I ran out of whole nutmeg recently, so I picked up a small package of Badia brand.
Big mistake, very oddly flavored, nothing like good nutmeg.
 
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