Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are what change basic foods into favored dishes
They are the secondary seasonings that develop and extend the natural flavors of our raw materials. Fresh herbs compliment and enrich taste without adding any calories or fat, and they are very rich in anti-oxidants. There are some basic ideas that apply to virtually all herbs. Let’s take a look at them and then we can explore the individual herbs to see how best to enhance your cooking.
Fresh herbs have both more and less flavor than dried ones.
Dried herbs have had some of their flavor elements concentrated and so they can seem stronger. But drying them causes some other tastes to be lost and so the flavors are diminished. Drying herbs also destroys the anti-oxidant properties. The general ratio to substitute fresh herbs for dried is 3 to 1. That is, use 3 times as much fresh herbs as dried herbs that recipes might call for. Please do not freeze herbs.
Fresh herbs have subtle and delicate flavors.
Prolonged cooking causes them to lose their fragrance and their flavor. Add the fresh herbs near the end of the cooking time. The flavors develop very quickly. They shouldn’t cook in liquids for more than about an hour, generally, to get the most from them. Add to stocks, soups, stews near the end and see how much richer the flavors will be at the table.