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Ultimate Guide To Growing Fresh Herbs.

Italians insist upon fresh ingredients in their food, and their herbs are no exception. There are a variety of fresh herbs common in Italian cooking. Most people are familiar with the little bottles of dried herbs from the grocery store, but if you haven’t prepared food with fresh herbs, you really need to give it a try. What’s the distinction between an herb and a spice? Spices are made from the seeds, root, fruit or barks of aromatic plants, while the herbs primarily consist of the leaves and stems. Herb plants contain oils which are very fragrant and add the distinctive aroma and flavor that Italian food is known for. A few of the most common herbs are basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme. Basil is a member of the mint family, and like all mint herbs, it is extremely fragrant when picked fresh. Basil leaves blacken when exposed to metal, therefore it is common in Italy to tear the leaves by hand before throwing the basil into a sauce or onto a dish. Basil is the primary herb for the famous pesto sauce. Oregano is another popular herb in both Italian and Greek food. Most people are familiar with this herb in tomato based pasta sauces and with meats. Italian Parsley, also known as flat-leaf parsley, is readily available in most grocery stores and is easy to distinguish it from the curly variety frequently used as a garnish. Italians favor this parsley for cooking because it has a much better flavor, while the curlier variety is best saved for garnishing your dish. Rosemary is another widely available herb and resembles a little branch from an evergreen tree. This is one of the most fragrant of all the fresh herbs and it will retain its flavor and aroma when dried. It’s excellent with vegetables and is often cooked into the dough of breads like focaccia. Sage has long, broad leaves and is the herb which flavors the traditional Italian Saltimbocca dish. Sage is also very fragrant so be sure you don’t use too much and overwhelm your meal. Thyme is another herb of the mint family, but in contrast to the other mints, it has tiny leaves that can easily be thrown whole into your sauce or dish. I use this herb frequently because its mild flavor goes well with everything and won’t overshadow the rest of your dish. There are some basic rules for cooking with fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are more delicate than dried and can lose some of their flavor when cooked too long. For slow cooked sauces and meats, you can add the fresh herbs at the last minute keeping their flavors and aromas intact. On the other hand, the oils in dried herbs are concentrated requiring a smaller amount of than fresh herbs in your recipes. A good general rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs needed in a dish. But remember, cooking is an art and you can use as much or as little as you like. The next time you want to spruce up an everyday meal, throw in some fresh Italian herbs.

Learning to use fresh herbs is a great way to spice up your cooking, making it tastier and better than ever before.  There are infinite ways to use fresh herbs in your cooking. This means that you get to use your imagination to create new ways of using the herbs you choose every day!  A benefit of using fresh herbs is that you will not need to use as much salt or fatty ingredients to add flavor and substance to your cooking.  This brings obvious health benefits as well as the fact that herbs are loaded with antioxidants which protect against cancer and heart disease.Using recipes is a great way of introducing yourself to using fresh herbs in your cooking.  The next level of learning how to use herbs comes with fully understanding the different flavors of the herbs you are using.  To achieve this, I suggest first tasting each herb by itself, then add it to something bland yet familiar, such as rice or potatoes.  Finally, (and here’s where your creativity comes in) experiment by adding the herb whenever you think it will work.  If you’re using herbs from your own garden, it is important for you to know that the best herbs come from plants that are in the leaf making stage, not in the flowering (reproductive) stage.  During the flowering stage, leaves become bitter, grassy, woody, or yellowed because more of the plant’s energy is going toward flowering (reproduction).  You can delay your plant flowering by harvesting often.When starting to grow herbs at home, it’s a good idea to start small so as not to become overwhelmed.  I recommend starting with six basic herbs, including:  Chives, Thyme, Tarragon, Oregano, Rosemary, and Basil.  A few others to add when you’re comfortable with the above might be:  Sage, Marjoram, and Dill.  Once you’re comfortable with all of these, you may wish to experiment with many others.  There are infinite possibilities.When cooking with your herbs, it is a general guideline to use three times as much fresh as you would of a dried herb.  The best time to pick herbs from your garden is in the morning, after the dew has dried and before the sun gets hot.  This will provide you with the optimum flavor and best storage time line. When storing your herbs in the refrigerator, I recommend putting them in a perforated plastic bag which you can easily make yourself by poking holes in a plastic bag.  They will keep this way for a few days.  If the herbs you’re storing have long stems, you can cut them at an angle, like flowers, and put them in water, covered loosely with a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Change the water daily and they can last up to a week.  Be aware that longer herb storage times may result in diminished flavor.A few ideas to get you started cooking with herbs include using Basil, Garlic, Oregano, and Rosemary for meat, stew, pasta, or casseroles.  To enhance sweetness, use Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg.  To heat up a dish, add black, red, or white Pepper.  Be sure to add fresh herbs at the end of cooking so that flavor lasts.  Keep in mind that you can use herb flowers for a beautiful garnish.Happy Cooking!

Sometimes you just get tired of using the same old recipe that tastes the same time after time. But we are all so busy we are looking for easy ways to spice up are repertoire. One way that many cooks forget is to use blends of herbs to add subtle flavor distinctions. The French have been doing this forever.

The French never use just one herb in there dishes but rather a blend of herbs that they call a “bouquets garni”. Don’t be put off by that fancy name, it simply means a bouquet of herbs. The blend of herbs adds subtle but distinct flavors to every dish you prepare. The trick is to get the right blend for so no one herb dominates the dish. You want the flavors to be delicate.

With just a few herb bouquets you can change the taste of a recipe instantly. Now, old recipes have added spark and will get you plenty of “This is Greats”. Your aim here is to create a complex flavor that is balanced making each guest want to instantly take another bite. Of course there is different garni for each recipe. You want to achieve the right herbs and spices that compliment each other. You want to use the right relationship between quantities of each herb you are using.

For meat based casseroles, stews, stocks and soup, the old tried and true garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaf still apply. But go one step further and add a twist of citrus (lime, lemon, or orange) for a little zip. The formula for this garni is 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf. Get a piece of cooking string and tie the bundle together. Viola, just add the bundle to your dish and remove it before serving. Please use fresh herbs, they’re so much better. If you have to use dried, sprinkle the herbs into a patch of cheesecloth and tie the cloth together with the string. .Fine Herbes and Herbes de Provence are to other bouquets that the French use in their cooking.

You can buy these at the grocery store or a gourmet shop but why not make your own. Finely chop fresh oregano, thyme, marjoram, savory, and marjoram for Herbes de Provence. Add one tablespoon of each to your dish. This combination can also be used in salads, meat dishes and vegetables.

The English version of Herbes de Provence is sage, rosemary, marjoram, Italian parsley chives, tarragon and thyme. Mix them all together and use on lamb, pork or in stuffing.

For Fine Herbes, mix together chopped parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Experiment with the quantities. Be adventurous! Keep careful notes when you are experimenting so that you can duplicate the successes and toss the disasters. Remember that creating beautiful tasty dishes is a more of a craft that an art.

You will need to identify the flavor and strength of each herb so that you can group them into either mild or robust. Examples of mild herbs are basil, bay leaf, chervil dill, and marjoram. These herbs combine well with most other herbs and their flavors become milder during the cooking process. With mild herbs you can use larger amounts and with more variation. They can also be used in salads and other dishes where the leaves are not cooked or briefly cooked.

Your robust herbs stand up to cooking. Often, they are used for braised or roasted meat or domestic fowl, soups, stews and even grilled foods. You will have work on the recipe since sometime the herbs alter subtly during the cooking process. They will either become more muted or in some cases intensify. They can always be combined with the mild herbs. Robust herbs include sorrel, rosemary, garlic, oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.

Another cool easy to use fresh herbs is to flavor oil or vinegar with a blend of either mild or robust herbs. You will need pretty glass jars (preferable dark) and a tight seal. Simply put your combination of herbs in the jar, add the oil or vinegar, seal and let it sit for several weeks. Oils should be stored in the refrigerator. The herbs will add a subtle flavor to the liquid and will be delicious in a variety of ways.

You can make really healthy tinctures with fresh herbs. But I would urge you to master the cooking with herbs before you branch out to other areas. By know exactly how each herb flavors each dish you will instinctually know what to use in tinctures.

Again be adventurous, mix and match, keep trying new things and keep notes so your successes can be repeated. After you have mastered cooking with herbs, who knows? Maybe you will start an herb garden so you will always have fresh delicious herbs on hand.

Here’s to Good Cooking!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

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