Research shows that people who prepare and cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains needed in a balanced diet. Building skills and cooking knowledge increases the likelihood that people choose to prepare home-cooked meals.

To encourage more home-prepared meals, the Hickman County Extension Office hosted the workshop Savor the Flavor: Seasoning with Spices. The Savor the Flavor program focused on cooking with various spices to season and enhance the flavor of food. Extension developed this program as a way to teach people how to make home-prepared meals that are flavorful and exciting. These common pantry staples are versatile, yet people commonly say they are unsure of the appropriate uses and applications for these items. The goal of this program is to increase knowledge about various types of spices that you can use and learn how to incorporate them into food preparation and cooking. 32 Purchase Area Homemakers participated in the workshop. Of those surveyed, 87.5% indicated they better understood different types of spices used for cooking. 90.6% reported they had a better understanding of how to blend or pair spices to create different types of seasonings. 90.6% stated they increased their level of understanding regarding ways to incorporate spices into food preparation and cooking. Further, 93.5% expressed the intention to try a new type of spice as a way to prepare or add flavor to foods, while 93.5% expressed the intention to incorporate more spices into cooking to increase home-prepared meals.

Based on the surveys returned, participants Strongly Agree that this material was timely, practical, and educational.