Cloves 50g

Recipes & Uses

Cloves Recipe

Mulled Wine (Glühwein/Hippocras)

(The ancient spiced drink with 9.3M monthly searches during winter)

 Authentic Recipe

Ingredients (6 servings):

• 1 bottle (750ml) red wine (Merlot/Cabernet)

• 6 whole cloves (key spice)

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 orange (sliced + studded with extra cloves)

• 1/4 cup honey/sugar

• 1 star anise (optional)

• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)

Key Steps:

1. Stud orange slices with 10-12 additional cloves (visual flair + flavor)

2. Simmer gently all ingredients 20 mins (never boil to preserve alcohol)

3. Strain → serve warm in mugs

Pro Tip:

• For depth, toast cloves + cinnamon 1 min before adding liquid

 Other Top Clove Recipes:

1. Ham Glaze (brown sugar + mustard + ground cloves)

2. Indian Garam Masala (clove + cardamom + cinnamon blend)

3. Pumpkin Pie Spice (clove + nutmeg + ginger trio)

Storage Hack:

• Keep whole cloves in freezer (retains oils for 5+ years)

• Why Keep Whole Cloves in the Pantry?

  A little goes a very long way
  Whole cloves are intensely aromatic, so just a few can add noticeable warmth and depth.

  Perfect for slow infusion
  Use them whole in liquids and long-cooked dishes where their flavour can gradually develop.

  Essential for Indian cooking
  Cloves are a classic whole spice in biryani, pilaf, curries, garam masala and many other dishes.

  Made for winter drinks
  Mulled wine, cider and spiced apple drinks all benefit from their distinctive sweet warmth.

  Useful in both sweet and savoury cooking
  One packet can move from curry to baked ham to poached pears without feeling out of place.

  ---

  What Do Whole Cloves Taste Like?

  Cloves have an intense, warm, sweet, pungent and slightly peppery flavour.

  Their aroma is strong and instantly recognisable.

  They work especially well alongside other warming spices such as:

  Cinnamon
  Cardamom
  Ginger
  Nutmeg
  Star anise

  But because cloves are so powerful, they are usually used in much smaller quantities.

  The goal is often to add depth and fragrance without making the entire dish taste predominantly of clove.

  ---

  How to Use Whole Cloves

  Biryani & Fragrant Rice

  Add two or three Whole Cloves to basmati rice along with cardamom and cinnamon.

  Allow them to cook with the rice, then remove before serving where practical.

  Curries

  Add Whole Cloves at the beginning of cooking, often alongside other whole spices.

  Cooking them in oil or ghee before adding the remaining ingredients helps release their aroma.

  Mulled Wine & Cider

  Simmer Whole Cloves with:

  Cinnamon Quills
  Orange
  Star Anise
  Wine, cider or apple juice

  Strain before serving.

  Baked Ham

  Press Whole Cloves into the surface of a scored ham before glazing and baking.

  The cloves slowly perfume the meat and glaze as it cooks.

  Poached Fruit

  Add a few cloves to the poaching liquid for pears, apples, plums or other fruit.

  Stocks & Stews

  Add two or three Whole Cloves to long-cooked stocks, meat stews or braising liquids for subtle warming depth.

  ---

  Whole Cloves or Ground Cloves?

  Both give you the same distinctive spice, but they perform differently.

  Choose Whole Cloves when you want:

  • Slow infusion
  • Whole-spice curries
  • Biryani and rice
  • Mulled drinks
  • Poached fruit
  • Pickling
  • An ingredient you can remove before serving

  Choose Ground Cloves when you want:

  • Baking
  • Spice mixes
  • Even distribution throughout a recipe
  • Quick flavour with no whole spice to remove

  Whole cloves give you slower, more controlled flavour release.

  Ground cloves give you immediate, concentrated flavour.

  ---

  Why Add Whole Cloves Early?

  Whole spices need time.

  A clove doesn't instantly dissolve into a dish.

  Instead, heat and moisture gradually draw the aromatic flavour out.

  That's why Whole Cloves are generally added towards the beginning of cooking in:

  Curries
  Rice dishes
  Stocks
  Stews
  Poaching liquids

  The longer they gently infuse, the more opportunity the flavour has to become part of the dish.

  ---

  Toast Them for Extra Aroma

  For curries, rice or spice blends, you can briefly toast Whole Cloves before using them.

  Place them in a dry pan over medium heat for around 30–60 seconds, moving them regularly.

  Remove them as soon as they become noticeably more fragrant.

  Do not allow them to burn.

  You can then use them whole or allow them to cool before grinding.

  ---

  Try It This Way

  For an easy fragrant basmati rice, add:

  Basmati rice
  Water
  2–3 Whole Cloves
  2 Cardamom Pods
  1 small Cinnamon Quill
  A pinch of salt

  Cook the rice as usual.

  Remove the whole spices before serving.

  The result is gently perfumed rice without needing a complicated spice blend.

  ---

  The Classic Ham Technique

  Whole Cloves are one of the few spices that can contribute both flavour and presentation.

  Score the surface of a ham into a diamond pattern.

  Press one clove into selected intersections.

  Brush with your preferred glaze and bake.

  As the ham cooks, the clove aroma slowly infuses the outer layer and glaze.

  Remove the cloves before eating.

  ---

  Beyond Mulled Wine

  Once you've opened the pack, try Whole Cloves in:

  • Biryani
  • Pilaf
  • Curries
  • Basmati rice
  • Beef stews
  • Lamb dishes
  • Stocks
  • Broths
  • Mulled wine
  • Mulled cider
  • Spiced apple juice
  • Baked ham
  • Poached pears
  • Stewed apples
  • Chutneys
  • Pickles
  • Spiced syrups
  • Homemade garam masala

  Whole Cloves are especially useful when you want deep warming spice without leaving ground spice throughout the finished dish.

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  Start Small

  Whole Cloves are extremely potent.

  For many dishes, two or three cloves are enough.

  Adding more doesn't necessarily create better flavour — it can quickly overwhelm everything else.

  Important

  Whole cloves remain hard after cooking.

  Use them to infuse flavour and remove them before serving wherever possible.

  Storage

  Store Whole Cloves in an airtight container in a cool, dark and dry place to protect their powerful aroma.