[I want to take a home-style recipe and scale it up to feed about 50 people. I've heard that you should not scale up spices directly. Any help with this problem?]

Kit Anderson--

This comes from the McCormick Web site. Click here to visit site

It doesn't say why, but I suspect it has to do with pH, heat, and other factors affecting extraction of the essential oils.

Scaling:

Foodservice kitchens often need to scale up small-sized recipes to large quantity proportions. Most ingredients can be increased in direct relation to the total recipe increase. However, spices need special attention as the flavor of certain spices intensifies as the build-up increases. Experimentation and testing are the keys to success in increasing spices in the proper proportions but there are some tips which can serve as a starting point.

The tropical spices (black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves; but not nutmeg and mace) can usually be increased proportionately - double the recipe, double the spice. This must be done accurately, however, measuring by weight and not by volume. This applies to such blends as curry and chili powders and apple and pumpkin pie spices, but not Italian seasoning.

Nutmeg, mace, and Italian seasoning use the following herb formula:

For the first 100% increase in portions, herbs can also be doubled. After that, for each multiple of the original recipe, add only half the original amount of herbs. For example, a recipe for 10 using 1 tablespoon basil (3.3 gr.) scaled up to 100 portions: 20 portions = 2 tablespoons basil (6.6 g.); the remaining 80 portions = 8 x 1/2 tablespoon (1.65 g.) = 4 tablespoons basil (13.2 g.); 100 portions total = 2 + 4, or 6 tablespoons basil (19.8 g.).

Italian Seasoning is a blend of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil. (I bet tarragon, dill, and other leafy herbs fit in this category as well.)

Hot red pepper builds up even more quickly than the herbs. For the first doubling of the recipe, the red pepper can still be doubled. After that, however, use only 1/4 the original amount of pepper for each multiple of the original recipe. To increase from 10 to 100 portions when 1/4 teaspoon red pepper (.525 g.) was used for 10 portions: 20 portions = 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (1.05 g.); the remaining 80 portions = 8 x 1/16 teaspoon, or 1/2 teaspoon (1.05 g.); 100 portions total = 1 teaspoon red pepper (2.1 g.)

  
