You can make your own Chinese Five Spice, I highly recommend it! You probably have all the ingredients already. Store in a glass and a cool, dry and dark place and it will last long.

Those peas are my grandparents’ favorite brand of peas. They’re not mushy but I add them last so they’re not crushed by utensils. I’ve used them in fried rice before and my family makes Chicken Guisantes with those peas. It must be that brand or else…

EDIT: Wait, what?!? 99¢!?! You’re so lucky! I have to make a special trip to some Asian supermarket or H-Mart to get those and they’re not 99¢, lol! Enjoy!

Whole star anise keeps for a while. I’ve had the same batch for about five years now and it’s still incredibly potent. So certainly, continue with learning how to use it, but don’t stress about going through all of it in a short period of time.

Whole star anise keeps for a while. I’ve had the same batch for about five years now and it’s still incredibly potent. So certainly, continue with learning how to use it, but don’t stress about going through all of it in a short period of time.

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I just made a giant jar of chili crunch mostly adhering to this recipe. I made mine mild and used four entire star anise pods. (btw chili crunch is pretty much the best condiment you’ll ever have in your life, and oh my god you have a lot of star anise)

That sounds amazing. Now I need to find molds and a place for them to dry that is safe from cat hair.

I love this stuff. We make huge batches to keep all year. Haven’t used the serious eats recipe

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I ground up dried lobster and porcini mushrooms into powder and used mostly pasilla, guajillo, and a few chipotle dried peppers. Imo it’s way better than store bought. Would love to know your recipe!

We use this one from The Woks of Life. Which does have any lobster or mushrooms. Our last batch used a hotter chili pepper and was almost too spicy. That’s kind of how it goes when you can’t read the labels on the dried peppers. Need to take better notes of branda

*lobster mushrooms, please don’t think I put actual lobster in there, I’m not made of money

I’m lucky to live near a specialty market that sells a variety of dried mushrooms and peppers in bulk so you only have to buy what you need, but I can’t overstate how much mushroom powder enhances the flavor. Thanks for the recipe share!!

There is no place safe from cat hair. The cats know. The cats find!

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’m on a search for dried mushrooms at the two Asian grocery stores by my house. I’ve never had them but love mushrooms. Good idea to just have them ready

I think ivneed new glasses because I swear that looked like a jar of spiders for a good 10 seconds before I realized it was Anise

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

i mean i use a teensy amount of aniseed in my red pasta sauce. i suppose you could sub star anise, but i’ve never tried it.

i have a root beer/birch beer/sarsaparilla recipe i’ve been fighting for years that i used star anise in, but i think i might sub in fennel or aniseed because it always ends up too licoricey no matter how little i put in. here’s the latest incarnation, but note it is not good

1 tablespoon sarsaparilla root bark
1 tablespoon sassafras root bark
1 tablespoon birch bark
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger
4? sprigs chocolate mint
3? star anise pods
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup molasses

Combine everything but sugar and molasses.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 2 hours
Strain liquid through fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large pot.
Add sugar and molasses, low heat and stir until mixture is integrated.
Put in syrup jar, refrigerate, add to carbonated water to make soda.

I’d leave out the star anise and mint entirely to begin with and slowly add them in at different quantities, because it’s really easy to get mint or licorice soda. I still haven’t figured this recipe out. nutmeg might be a good addition too.

Thank you for posting the failed recipe. That looks very expensive. What is the batch size?

*lobster mushrooms, please don’t think I put actual lobster in there, I’m not made of money

I’m lucky to live near a specialty market that sells a variety of dried mushrooms and peppers in bulk so you only have to buy what you need, but I can’t overstate how much mushroom powder enhances the flavor. Thanks for the recipe share!!