Benefits of Cloves

Cloves contain fiber, valuable vitamins and minerals, so using whole or ground cloves to add flavor to your food can provide some important nutrients.

Cloves are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and eugenol.

Cloves have been shown to have antimicrobial properties, meaning they can help stop the growth of microorganisms like bacteria.

You can easily incorporate ground cloves into many dishes. They’ll bring a warm, distinctive flavor to desserts, curries or chutneys.

Clove Spiced Dutch Poached Pears

Ingredients

6 conference pears, 1 bottle dry red wine 750 mL, 2 cups water 473 mL, 3 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 g, 1 vanilla bean

Method:

1. Prep: Cut a small portion of the bottom of each pear off so they can sit upright. Peel the skin from each, then set aside.
2. Cook: Set a large pot over medium heat and add the wine, water, cloves, cinnamon, and sugar. Split the vanilla bean down the middle, scrape the seeds into the pot, then throw the whole bean in as well. Add the pears, making sure they’re mostly covered by the wine, then cover and let gently simmer for 20 minutes, or until pears are soft.
3. Serve: Serve warm and fresh, or store leftovers in the wine juice in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Spiced Orange Pomander Balls

Method:

• Use a corner of the citrus zester to make a few designs in the skin of the orange. A peeler works too, but will make wider strips.

• Poke a row of holes in the orange with a tooth pick and push the cloves into the pre-made holes. You may not find this necessary, but if you are crafting with small children, as I was, the cloves hurt their fingers without the pre-made holes.

• You can really make any design you like on the oranges.

• If you like, you can finish by rolling the pomanders in ground spices for extra fragrance. Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and of course, cloves, would all be nice.