Cloves: cooking uses, dosage and storage

Photo credit: Henna — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 1.0. Photo cropped.

Cloves are dried flower buds. Their warm, camphor-like and mildly sweet aroma is so concentrated that a few usually season an entire pot.

Whole or ground?

Whole cloves infuse gradually and can be removed. Powder spreads immediately and is difficult to correct.

Dosage and pairings

Begin with one or two cloves in a family-sized pot. Use in stock, marinades, rice, drinks, compotes and baking with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or citrus.

Caution

Cloves contain eugenol, but that does not make them a treatment for pain or infection. Essential oil is far more concentrated and should not be swallowed or applied without qualified advice.

FAQ

Remove cloves before serving?

Preferably, because biting a whole clove is extremely intense.

Drink strong clove tea daily?

Seek advice for frequent concentrated use, medication or pregnancy.

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