Possible Clues:

• Add it to give flavour
• Cast iron coat
• Herbs and spices
• Give your boy gin with flavour after 17 across
• Salt, pepper, herbs etc added to food
• Tasteful timing, perhaps
• Springing, for instance, is bound to be all a matter of taste
• Prepared sage and onions, not initially added condiments
• Food flavouring
• Salt, possibly, starts to improvise notes in shanty