Pickling Spice

2 tablespoons bay leaves
1 tablespoon cardamom seed
1 tablespoon dried ginger root
1 stick cinnamon
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 1/2 whole dried chile peppers
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon peppercorns

Crush bay leaves. If you have cardamom in the pod, pound it with a mortar and pestle to extract seeds. Also pound dried ginger root and break cinnamon stick into small pieces to distribute flavors. Dried chiles can be broken or crushed into small pieces. Combine bay leaves, cardamom seed, ginger, cinnamon, chile peppers, mustard seed, allspice, coriander and peppercorns. Blend and store in an airtight container. Use as directed in recipes.

Yields 4 ounces.