Top 10 Things You Should Know About Cooking with Fresh Herbs

Top Ten Things You Should Know About Cooking with Fresh Herbs

1. A loving reminder: herbs are generally used to enhance a food’s natural flavor, not dominate it (with the exception of heavily spiced, exotic dishes).
2. When it comes to preserving herbs such as basil, cilantro, and parsley, I treat them like fresh cut flowers and put them in a jar of water at room temperature.
3. When it comes to storing fresh cut herbs such thyme, rosemary, and chives, I like to gently rinse them, thoroughly blot them dry, wrap them in a paper towel, and store them in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator’s crisper.
4. For long-term storage, fresh herbs freeze well in single layers in a zip lock bag or in cubes using an ice cube tray for quick and easy access.
5. The finer you chop fresh herbs, the more oils will be released and the better the flavor will be.
6. In order to preserve the flavor of herbs in cooked dishes, add fresh herbs near the end of the cooking process.
7. In order to intensify flavors in refrigerated foods, such as dips, cheese, veggies, or dressings, fresh herbs should be added several hours before serving, overnight if possible (except for fresh basil which can turn bitter if added to salad dressings overnight or longer).
8. In general, I prefer to mix one stronger-flavored herb with a milder-flavored herb to help compliment the food better.
9. You will know when to toss fresh herbs when the leaves or stems turn dark or brittle, or they begin to show signs of mold.
10. General rule of thumb: 2 – 4 teaspoons of fresh herbs are roughly equivalent to ¾ – 1 teaspoon of dried herbs, which is roughly equivalent to ¼ teaspoon of powdered herbs.