Cloves (syzygium aromaticum) are the unopened flower buds of an Indonesian tree. They are used as a spice in recipes and also have medicinal and household uses. Whole and ground cloves should be available in every pantry, pending multiple possible uses.
Steps
Step 1. Use cloves to flavor your dishes
They have an intense and spicy flavor, with warm and pungent notes. Even a small amount of cloves is capable of unleashing wonders. Here are some examples of uses in the kitchen:
- Fruit cakes. They are commonly added to apple pies and can also be incorporated into other fruit desserts for a warm, spicy note.
- Compotes, chutneys and pickles. Cloves lend a pleasant spicy flavor to many of these recipes.
- Stick them on the outside of a ham.
- Add crumbled or ground cloves to those desserts that require a warm, spicy note.
- Use them in the preparation of Indian recipes. Cloves are very popular in a variety of Indian dishes, such as curry and biryani.
- Add them to your marinades.
- Pair them and add them to pumpkin recipes, cloves perfectly complement its flavor.
Step 2. Use them in the preparation of tasty drinks
Cloves help make several winter drinks delicious, such as mulled wine and hot cider. You can also experiment:
- Spiced mead with orange, cinnamon and cloves
- Spiced cider cranberry juice, cinnamon and cloves
- Spiced tea
- Add a small amount of powdered cloves to your hot chocolate and top with the whipped cream..
Step 3. Use cloves as a home remedy
The possible home uses of cloves are many, from warding off unwelcome insects to releasing a pleasant fragrance in the air. Here are some ideas to take inspiration from:
- Use them to keep flies away
- Make a pomander using cloves
- Perfume the laundry drawers with a few drops of clove oil
- Eliminate the smell of mothballs with cloves.
Step 4. Use cloves to temporarily relieve toothache
Before you go to the dentist, chew on a few to reduce discomfort. But be careful not to swallow them!
