Caribbean Green Seasoning
The perfect level of seasoning can transform a good meal into a great one. It takes time, but someone who is just starting out on their cooking journey can step up their spice game with lots of practice in the kitchen.
While of course, the culinary world wouldn’t be the same without salt and pepper, there are so many other fantastic seasonings to explore.
Let’s take a closer look at Trinidad green seasoning, a delicious staple of Caribbean cooking.
What is Trinidad Green Seasoning?
Trinidad green seasoning is a special seasoning hailing from the Caribbean region.
This is one of many seasonings that are commonly incorporated into cooking to improve food flavor and smell.
Natural spices, fresh herbs, and oils are combined to create seasoning, which can add a spicy kick or fragrant aroma to dishes from cuisines right around the world.
Seasoning is a must-have ingredient. It amplifies the flavor profile, and the same goes for cooking over the stove. Liquid spice releases flavors when heated up.
The best thing about seasoning is that you can add as little or as much of it as you like. Season to taste is often the final step for a successful recipe.
Seasoning History
Long before innovations like the modern food processor and food coloring, there were just ancient civilizations, relying on nature and their own creativity to produce the food they needed to survive.
Millions of years ago, hunters and gatherers made a chance discovery: covering their meat in leaves from flowering plants made it taste better.
Curiosity took hold, and humans began to experiment with more leaves, seeds, nuts, and berries.
Over time, their medicinal purpose was uncovered, and herbs and spices were used to improve food freshness and taste.
If it smelt or tasted good, the seasoning was in high demand, which remains true to this day.
The Origins of Trinidad Green Seasoning
The Caribbean islands have produced some of the world’s most flavorful seasonings, including Trinidad green seasoning. As a blend of herbs like basil, celery, garlic, onion, parsley, thyme, and habanero peppers, green seasoning is full of flavor.
The fresh herbs are blended to a beautiful green color, forming a puree that works wonderfully over the stove or in the oven.
The people of Trinidad originally used green seasoning as a marinade for meats and fish, and the seasoning was appropriately named after the Caribbean island nation where it came from.
How is Trinidad Green Seasoning Used?
Trinidad green seasoning puree is a popular choice for marinating meat, fish, and vegetables. When it comes to this seasoning, it’s worth the wait, with the flavor intensifying the longer it soaks into the food.
You can also pour the seasoning into ice cube trays and freeze it for soups and rice dishes.
Plus, green seasoning is used throughout Jamaica, India, and Africa as a base ingredient for spicy dipping sauce.
Two tablespoons of Trinidad green seasoning is the perfect amount to complete each recipe and produce mouthwatering Caribbean dishes.
Trinidad Green Seasoning Recipe
There’s more than one way to make green seasoning. As long as you have the key ingredient of Spanish thyme, you can incorporate your desired ingredients to produce the flavorful green puree.
Here are the recommended ingredients for a tried and tested green seasoning recipe that smells great and tastes even better.
Ingredients
- cilantro
- fresh thyme
- parsley
- celery stalk
- small yellow onion
- head of garlic
- scallions
- pimento peppers
- red bell pepper
- Pinch of pink rocks salt
-
Chadon beni
How to Make Green Seasoning
Add water or olive oil to a blender or food processor.
Chop the cilantro, celery, green onions, and parsley, and remove stems from the hot peppers.
Put all the veggies in the blender or food processor and mix until it’s puree, similar to baby food with a slightly coarse texture.
Add more ingredients if necessary.
Once satisfied with the flavor intensity and seasoning color, pour the mixture into an airtight container for storage.
Tips From The Food Pros
Make sure to pat the herbs dry after rinsing before putting them in the
blender.
Finely chop onions and herbs for easier blending. Don’t
forget to remove woody herb stems too.
If you like spice, add a bit
of chili for an extra kick.
Add chopped onions to the base where
there is more water.
The fresher the ingredients, the better the
puree will be. Try making the seasoning within a day or two after bringing
home the ingredients.
Additional Ingredients
Fresh seasoning is the opposite of boring food. The fun part is you are free to add more ingredients whenever you want.
You can experiment and include more of the herbs you like, whether it's a piece of ginger or fresh oregano.
Other good additions to the green seasoning recipe are scotch bonnet pepper, chicken powder, sweet peppers, garlic vinegar, basil, shallots, rosemary, fresh ginger, cilantro, lime, or lemon juice, pimento, leaf thyme, and bay leaf.
Sweet & Spicy Peppers
Peppers are a fantastic part of everyday cooking, and they certainly belong in your cooking arsenal when making green seasoning.
You can choose your preferred level of spice and incorporate as many peppers as you like. 1-2 habanero peppers or bonnet chiles add plenty of spice, or you can opt for a sweeter flavor punch with mild varieties like bell or poblano peppers.
If you want to experiment, try making a few batches with different peppers to achieve your desired earthy, spicy seasoning.
Shopping For Herbs & Spices
You can buy everything you need to make green seasoning from your local
grocery store or farmer's market. Stores specializing in ethnic foods may have
a larger spice selection than a general supermarket.
Green Seasoning Storage
You can safely refrigerate green seasoning for a couple of weeks in an
airtight container. It lasts for three months in the freezer when you pour the
seasoning into an ice tray and place it inside Ziploc freezer bags.
The
frozen ice cubes are easy to put into soups, stews, and any other recipes. If
it’s a marinade, just thaw the ice cubes before cooking.
The
addition of vinegar to the seasoning allows you to store it for even longer.
The acetic acid in vinegar kills bacteria and preserves fresh ingredients.
Consider
swapping water for vinegar to boost the flavor and ensure the seasoning lasts
for a long time.
How Easy Is It to Make Trinidad Green Seasoning?
It's super easy! Caribbean dishes wouldn't be the same without all your favorite herbs in Trinidad green seasoning. Luckily, it's simple to make and incorporate into exotic dishes, with better flavor than traditional bouillon cubes or stock seasoning.
Here are a few final things to keep in mind when making green seasoning, a quintessential element in many delicious foods.
-
In just a few quick steps, you can have tasty green seasoning that’s rich in
flavor and perfect for Caribbean food. Roughly chop the herbs and pulse them
in the blender or food processor before using or storing the seasoning. Once
the mixture appears like pureed baby food, it's good to go.
-
After mixing the ingredients, you can taste-test the seasoning and see if
it's too strong or too mild for your liking. A cup of water can be used to
tone down overpowering flavors, while you can throw in more fresh cilantro
and spicy peppers if you're not quite satisfied with the flavor yet.
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Just a few spoonfuls are enough for soups and stews. If you’re marinating
meat or fish, let it soak for a few hours in the green seasoning for the
best flavor results.
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You can feel good about eating food made with Trinidad green seasoning. It’s
much healthier than store-bought seasoning packed with preservatives,
coloring, and additives.
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Green seasoning can transform bland food into melt-in-your-mouth comfort
food, whether it's on meat, rice, pasta, or salads. Both classic meals like
beef stew and more advanced dishes are enhanced with aromatic herbs from
green seasoning.
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Trinidadian dishes are popular from island to island throughout the
Caribbean. Making green seasoning at home allows you to bring a little bit
of island life back home with you. It's an incredibly versatile seasoning
that can be used across cuisines, from Creole dishes to favorite stews from
the other side of the world.
-
Caribbean green seasoning ingredients are readily available at supermarkets,
farmers' markets, and specialty ethnic food stores. Once you buy what you
need for the green seasoning mixture, it's best to make it fresh.
- As a staple meat marinade, green seasoning is a popular choice for adding more flavor to meats. Many people love how it tastes on beef, chicken, and pork, so save it for your next barbecue.
Discover new flavors and embrace Caribbean green seasoning
marinade today.
This sounds awesome! I can't wait to make some and give it a try!
ReplyDeleteHi Mandee,
DeleteI love it and i find it so easy to just scoop and go.
You made green seasoning look so good =) nice pics and really nice blog. When I lived overseas the one thing that always made me feel like "home" was making green seasoning.
ReplyDeleteI can't seem to function without it. Lol. When I'm out of it I feel like my meat is missing something lol
DeleteIs a flavor pepper a green bell pepper? And, what, exactly is a "head of chive"? Yes, you can tell I'm not a native of the islands :-)
ReplyDeleteHehe.. that's fine. No flavor pepper is almost like a hot pepper but it has no heat. They look the same as a scotch bonnet pepper. Chive is scallion/green onions. You can use about 4 stalks
DeleteFlavor pepper is pimento pepper
DeleteHow long can you keep it refrigerated or should I freeze this?
ReplyDeleteI've kept this in the fridge for months. You can freeze also but i prefer it just sit in the fridge
DeleteCan you use this as a marinade or rub and grill the meat?
ReplyDeleteYes you can. I do it and just grill the chicken when I'm ready.
Delete12 cloves of what? You already have 2 heads of garlic!
ReplyDeleteHello. Just 12 cloves. The flower buds... 12 of those. Here's a link to what cloves are https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-cloves-995621
DeleteI don't like cilantro, is there something else I can use?
ReplyDeleteYou can use some parsley
DeleteIt sounds very similar to Peruvian green sauce which I absolutely love
ReplyDelete