The Difference Between Fresh and Dried Herbs: A Guide for Home Cooks
As a home cook, I have always preferred using fresh herbs over dried ones. There's something about the brightness and freshness that they bring to a dish that I just can't replicate with dried herbs. However, at the end of every season, I will often dry out a lot of my herbs so I can enjoy them throughout the winter months. This means that I'll use fresh herbs in the spring and summer, and dried herbs in the fall and winter.
So, how do you differentiate between using fresh and dried herbs? The key is to understand that when an herb is dried or dries, it loses moisture but the flavor intensifies. If a recipe calls for two tablespoons of fresh basil, I would recommend using only one tablespoon if I were to use dried basil instead. This is because dried herbs are much more potent than their fresh counterparts.
Another important thing to keep in mind when using fresh and dried herbs is the type of herb itself. Soft herbs like basil, cilantro, flatly parsley, tarragon, and mint are very delicate and should be used only at the end of a cooking procedure. These herbs release their oils at the last minute, which gives you maximum impact when using them. On the other hand, harder herbs like rosemary, marjoram, and thyme can be used at the beginning of the process.
When growing your own fresh herbs, I have found that pinching the flowers as they start to come up helps retain the energy in the leaf itself. This means that you get more flavorful leaves and a healthier plant overall. For example, when I'm growing basil, I like to pinch off some of the flowers so that the plant continues to produce new growth without becoming leggy.
There's also an aesthetic aspect to using fresh herbs, which is where I think the beauty of gardening comes in. Some herbs, like thyme and rosemary, have beautiful flowers that can add a decorative touch to your garden. If you're growing these herbs, you might want to let some of them get a little more wild or trim half of the flowers to allow the other half to bloom.
As for me, I like to customize my herb garden to suit my mood and preferences. Depending on what I'm looking to achieve, I'll either pinch off all the flowers or leave some of them intact to create a decorative display. The great thing about gardening is that it's all about experimentation and having fun with the process.
In addition to these tips, it's also important to keep your herb garden well-weeded. This will help prevent pests and diseases from taking over, which can be detrimental to the health of your plants. By following these simple guidelines, you'll be able to enjoy fresh and flavorful herbs all year round, whether you're using them in cooking or simply appreciating their beauty in your garden.
Overall, understanding the difference between fresh and dried herbs is key to unlocking a world of culinary possibilities. Whether you prefer the brightness of fresh herbs or the intensity of dried ones, there's always room for experimentation and creativity in the kitchen. So go ahead, get growing, and start exploring the wonderful world of herbs!
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ena lot of questions about herbs dry herbs fresh herbs what's the difference i as a preference i would always prefer fresh herbs i just like the brightness that they bring to a dish that i don't feel dry herbs always bring but at the end of every season i will also dry out a lot of my herbs so i have them through the winter time so a lot of times in the fall and winter i'll use herbs that i've dried from my own garden and i'll use fresh in the spring and summer so how do i differentiate how to use each one as you dry an herb or as an herb is dried it loses moisture but the flavor intensifies so if you look at a recipe that says use two tablespoons of fresh basil if you were gonna use uh dry basil you would drop that down to minimally one tablespoon because it's gonna be twice as potent the other thing that is important to know about the fresh to dry herbs is when using soft herbs like basil cilantro flatly parsley tarragon those are herbs that are very delicate that should go in when they're fresh at the end of a cooking procedure so they release their oils at the last minute and you get maximum impact when using those herbs dried you want to add them in the beginning when you're sauteing your vegetables or whatever you're starting in the oil so they open back up and bloom with hardier herbs like rosemary marjoram thyme those fresh or dry go in in the beginning of the process a couple other little herb facts if you're growing your herbs fresh you i like to pinch the flowers as they start coming up so the energy stays in the leaf itself like here on the basil now there are times times as i'm going to show you time in a second like something like fresh thyme i like the way that the flowers look when it blooms so i might let some of the time get just a little bit more wild to create some flowers i could always work my way down here or maybe i'll trim half of flowers let the other half bloom it just depends on the herb and the mood i'm in to be honest that's kind of the beauty of gardening you could custom and make it your own and always weed youa lot of questions about herbs dry herbs fresh herbs what's the difference i as a preference i would always prefer fresh herbs i just like the brightness that they bring to a dish that i don't feel dry herbs always bring but at the end of every season i will also dry out a lot of my herbs so i have them through the winter time so a lot of times in the fall and winter i'll use herbs that i've dried from my own garden and i'll use fresh in the spring and summer so how do i differentiate how to use each one as you dry an herb or as an herb is dried it loses moisture but the flavor intensifies so if you look at a recipe that says use two tablespoons of fresh basil if you were gonna use uh dry basil you would drop that down to minimally one tablespoon because it's gonna be twice as potent the other thing that is important to know about the fresh to dry herbs is when using soft herbs like basil cilantro flatly parsley tarragon those are herbs that are very delicate that should go in when they're fresh at the end of a cooking procedure so they release their oils at the last minute and you get maximum impact when using those herbs dried you want to add them in the beginning when you're sauteing your vegetables or whatever you're starting in the oil so they open back up and bloom with hardier herbs like rosemary marjoram thyme those fresh or dry go in in the beginning of the process a couple other little herb facts if you're growing your herbs fresh you i like to pinch the flowers as they start coming up so the energy stays in the leaf itself like here on the basil now there are times times as i'm going to show you time in a second like something like fresh thyme i like the way that the flowers look when it blooms so i might let some of the time get just a little bit more wild to create some flowers i could always work my way down here or maybe i'll trim half of flowers let the other half bloom it just depends on the herb and the mood i'm in to be honest that's kind of the beauty of gardening you could custom and make it your own and always weed you\n"
