Cloves

Cloves are spices used often in baking, and are commonly found in cookies, pies or cakes. A clove is, essentially, the unopened flower bud of the evergreen clove tree. The clove flower buds are picked by hand when they are pink and then dried until they turn brown.

Cloves have been used in Asia for over 2000 years. In fact, Chinese documents referencing the spice have been dated back to 400 BC. There are also records from 200 BC indicating that people chewed on cloves to freshen their breath, and some placed them into their mouths when speaking with the emperor so that they would not offend him. Cloves were eventually brought to Europe around the fourth century by Arab traders visiting Rome. http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/cloves.html During the 1600s cloves were worth more than their weight in gold, and in the past wars have even been fought to secure the clove trade business.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Zanzibar's+clove+sales+have+fallen+out+of+flavor+Monopoly's+low...-a063774507

When cooking with cloves, it is wise to use a light hand as the spice has a very bold, easily identifiable flavor. Using too much can cause the clove to overpower your dish. Sometimes foods are spiced by sticking whole cloves into them and then cooking them this way, removing the cloves before serving. Cloves are often seen in curries, stocks and pickling spices.http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/cloves.html

Purchase and Storage of Cloves

It is generally better to buy whole cloves than clove powder because the powder loses flavor quickly. When you are ready to use the spice, you may easily grind it up by using a small electric coffee grinder (cloves are too hard to grind with a mortar and pestle).

A high quality clove will release some the oil when squeezed with a fingernail. When placing a clove in a cup of water, a good clove will float vertically and a stale one will sink or float horizontally.

Cloves should be stored in an airtight container with a tight fitting lid and kept in a dark, dry place. Avoid exposing cloves to moisture.