Cloves
Dried, intensely aromatic flower buds — sweet, warm, and a little medicinal in large amounts, so recipes use them sparingly. Whole cloves are meant to be removed before serving; ground cloves blend invisibly into batters.
Used for
- mulled cider
- baking
- hams
- braises
In the kitchen
- stud whole cloves into an onion or ham for easy removal later
- grind fresh for the most potent flavor in baking
- use sparingly — a little overwhelms a dish fast
Picking it at the store
- Whole cloves keep their potency far longer than ground — grind only what you need if you use them often
- Fish out whole cloves before serving; biting into one is unpleasantly intense
Related terms
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