This guide is here to answer some of those questions and hopefully, make you want to use more herbs in your cooking. Buying and Storing Fresh Herbs. When buying herbs, be sure to look for vibrant colors and fresh aromas. Avoid leaves that are limp, yellowing or have brown spots. You can buy fresh herbs loose, in packages or as plants. Having herb plants allows you to just snip off what you need and the rest of the plant continues to grow for months. Vegetable Diet Meal Plan.
You can store fresh herbs for several days in the fridge. Remove the rubber bands and immerse the stems in a glass with one inch of water. Cover the leaves with a plastic bag and change the water every day. Alternatively, you can trim the root ends and wrap the herbs loosely in damp paper towels. Place them in a plastic storage bag and keep them on the top shelf of the refrigerator, in the front so they don’t freeze. If the herbs do become limp, trim less than an inch off the stems and place them in a glass of ice water for a few hours. They will spring back to life!
Herbs can also be frozen for up to six months by plucking the leaves, washing and drying them, and placing them in a sealed plastic storage bag. They will, however, lose their vibrant color. Hearty herbs can be frozen in ice cube trays using oil or vegan butter. Simply fill an ice cube try about 2/3 full with chopped herbs, cover the herbs with oil or butter, cover the tray with plastic and freeze overnight. Pop the herb cubes out of the tray and store in labeled freezer bags. The next time you are cooking, you can just throw a cube in your pan and let it melt. Cooking With Herbs.
Only wash herbs when you are ready to use them. Put them in a bowl or sink of cool water and swish them around to release any dirt. Lift them out of the water and dry them in a salad spinner or by blotting them with a dish towel.
Herbs can be chopped with a knife or snipped with kitchen scissors. I choose scissors when I need chives or don’t feel like picking leaves of parsley off the stems.
Chop the herbs right before you will add them to the dish so they remain fresh. If the herbs are being used as an aromatic, background flavor, add some at the beginning of the recipes, usually right after heating the oil or cooking the first few ingredients such as the onions. You can add the entire sprig of an herb into the pot and then remove it when the dish is done. Dried herbs should also be added early in the recipe so their flavors can be released into the food. If you want the full flavor of the herbs to come through, chop them and add them near the end of cooking. And of course, herbs are the perfect garnish to top your incredible culinary masterpiece. Essential Herbs. Let’s take a closer look at a dozen of the more common herbs that we can use in our cooking to give our dishes amazing depths of flavor.
As well as learning about these different herbs, we will also share recipes and ideas in which to use them. Basil. If you have ever eaten pesto, you have eaten basil.
Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a popular herb in France and Italy. Basil has a floral aroma, similar to anise and cloves, and is a bit spicy. It pairs perfectly with tomatoes so you often find it inside and on top of Italian dishes. It is believed that it is best to tear basil leaves rather than chop them as the metal from the knife can alter the taste. Basil can be bought dried but it is best when fresh. Basil can be used in sauces, salads, soups, smoothies, sandwiches and even desserts.
Try this Spaghetti Squash with Basil and Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce, this Green Strawberry Basil Banana Smoothie, Basil and Peanut Butter Cookies, and Cool Pineapple- Basil Pops. Of course, basil is the most common way to make pesto. Check out this article on How to Make Pesto Without Cheese (It’s Easy). There is also Thai Basil which has a much stronger anise scent and is used in many Asian dishes. The leaves are smaller than those of Sweet Basil. Try it in this Stir- Fried Thai Basil with Tofu and Eggplant.
Bay Leaves. Bay leaves are Mediterranean herbs that are members of the laurel family. They are the leaves that were used to make wreaths for Olympic athletes before there were gold medals. Bay is robust, strongly aromatic and has a woody, astringent flavor. The smell is slightly minty and slightly clove- like. Many cooks think of bay more as a spice than an herb and bay pairs well with other spices such as cumin. Bay leaves are usually added to soups, stews, rice, sauces, beans and other long- cooking dishes that have moist environments.
Bay leaves are available fresh or dried and both are fine for cooking. Use bay in this Moroccan Tofu in Lemon- Olive Sauce, these Braised Seitan Short Ribs in a Spicy Chile Sauce and this Beef- Style Vegan Stew. Chives. Chives are related to onions and garlic. They have long, hollow green stems and are usually used fresh, though you can buy dried chives. Chives have a mildly pungent flavor that is not as strong as onion. They are usually used as a garnish by chopping or snipping them with scissors as they are delicate and heat ruins their flavor. Chives are found in many recipes including baked potatoes, salads and omelets.
They are often mixed into cream cheese as a spread or into vegan butter to make a compound butter. Try chives in these Tomato, Chive and Chickpea Pancakes and these Spicy Mushroom Stir- Fry with Garlic, Black Pepper and Chives. Chive plants grow edible purple blossoms that have a stronger onion and garlic flavor than do the stems.
They are beautiful on a plate. Cilantro. Cilantro, also called coriander, is an herb that brings out strong feelings in people.
They tend to either love it or hate it.