The warm flavour that this blend offers is stable to many British recipes. British mixed spices are often hard to get locally outside Britain. But if you want to buy mixed spice online, you can easily avail it.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend. While people add their own ingredients, it mostly encompasses a particular mixture. Mixed spice combine ground spices that include coriander seed, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, caraway, allspice, mace, and cloves. An authentic British mixed spice should contain all the ingredients. Mixed spice is often confused with allspice. Instead of a blend, allspice is a dried Pimenta dioica fruit. Allspice is also known as pepper, pimento, myrtle pepper, Jamaica pepper, new spice or Turkish yenibahar.
It is an age-old British spice blend that carries a long history. This term has been used in cookbooks as far back as 1828; its usage could date back further as well. This is because the list of ingredients for mixed spices were mentioned in the 1795's book "The Practice of Cookery" by Mrs Frazer. The flavour of a mixed spice is sweet and warm with a slightly spicy touch. It somewhat resembles gingerbread spice and is a perfect spice blend for winters.
Typically, mixed spices come with the carefully balanced blend. You would require the following ingredients to make your British mixed spice –
1 tablespoon of ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground allspice
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and transfer the blend in an airtight container. The spices will remain fresh for around 3 months. Typically mixed spices are stored in a glass jar that needs to be stored in a dry and cool place. You can also use cellophane packets to
store the spices. Keep the blend away from sunlight, but don't store the blend in the freezer.
When you buy mixed spice, it saves you a lot of time. You get a blend of spices that is measured and mixed precisely. All you have to do is add them to your recipe and enjoy the flavour. From a health perspective, mixed spices have ingredients that come with beneficial properties. Following are the health benefits of its ingredients –
Cinnamon – Cinnamon is boasted with antioxidants that can protect the body from the damages caused by free radicals. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help the body to combat and repair tissue damages. Cinnamon is also an ingredient that is popularly known for lowering blood sugar level.
Nutmeg – Nutmeg is enriched with anti-inflammatory properties known as monoterpenes that include pinene, sabinene, and terpineol. These elements help in reducing inflammation in the body. The spice also contains antibacterial effects which can combat against bacteria. A test found that this spice has powerful antibacterial effects against different types of bacteria.
Mace – Mace is an excellent spice to maintain the health of your digestive system. It helps in providing relief from constipation, bloating and other gastric issues. It also has the ability to improve blood circulation, thereby maintaining the health of your skin and hair. Mace is also known to have a positive effect on your mood, and help in keeping your calm and peaceful.
Coriander - Coriander is an excellent ingredient to lower the level of bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol level in your body. It also helps in maintaining your digestive system and promotes healthy bowel movements. It contains vitamin K, which is a useful component in treating Alzheimer.
Cloves – Cloves are enriched with antioxidant compounds that help in reducing oxidative stress, which often leads to chronic disease.
Cloves contain eugenol that has proven to possess anti-cancer properties. The antimicrobial properties in cloves help your body to fight with bacteria and their growth.
Mixed spice includes a blend of many flavours and is often used in baking, combined with desserts, sprinkled over fruits and vegetables. It is a popular ingredient used in making Christmas pudding and many other winter dishes. It is harder to get mixed spice outside Britain, and people often want to buy mixed spice online rather than making themselves. This is because mixed spice needs accurate measuring of all the ingredients, and that could be a hassle for many. By purchasing a mixed spice bottle, they can directly use the blend in whichever food they prefer and enjoy the taste.
