Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

Here are a few helpful hints and practical suggestions for using herbs:

Fresh vs. Dried

Not only does drying herbs destroy the antioxidants but it also changes the flavor, in some cases dramatically. We recommend fresh but, at the same time, we never recommend wasting!!

Dried herbs contain a higher level of oil content while fresh herbs are mostly water. The ratio of dried to fresh is usually about 4-1. (Four times the amount of fresh herbs for the same amount of dried.)

We generally recommend trial and error as you experiment with cooking. The quality of your dried or fresh herb, and the age of the dried herb, can make a significant difference.

When to add herbs while cooking

A general rule of thumb is that the heartier the herb the sooner you can use it. This means that thyme, rosemary, and sage can usually be used right away while the others should be used towards the end of preparation. Some cilantro and chervil should only be cooked for no more than 1-2 minutes and then added when cooking is complete. The other herbs should be used towards the end of cooking to maximize flavors. None of the herbs should be cooked longer than 1 hour unless you are making stock or a sauce and you are not going for the fresh herb taste as much as undertones in the flavor.

A good tip also is to use some herbs during every stage of the cooking process including the end. We believe that the subtle mixed in flavors can be extremely lovely. Again experiment, you cannot make a mistake!

Using the stems

”If we know better we do better.” I learned this saying as a child and the truth is that we waste a lot of food and, therefore, we also waste flavor. There is a time to make your food look like absolute perfection and then there is a time to just cook, without hassle, using all that you can. Using the whole piece of produce is the great part about so many vegetables and fruits; people are wasting excellent flavor capabilities by chopping, peeling, cutting and paring.

Chervil, chives, cilantro, rocolla, sorrel and parsley can be used in their entirety, stems and all, in just about anything. The flavors are almost identical and the texture as well. There is nothing tough or bitter about the stems, they just look different. It is much easier to chop the whole thing up than pick the leaves off. Some of the other herbs like oregano, marjoram, basil, mint, savory, and tarragon can generally be used in their entirety, but on occasion they can have thick stems so judge accordingly or even try just a little bit. Thyme, rosemary, and sage are generally too tough and woody unless they are young. If they are not young, strip the leaves. All of the stems can be saved in your freezer (zip lock) for future use in stocks.

Basic herb handling techniques

*Stripping-used on thyme, oregano, rosemary, and sage includes holding onto the stem and stripping the leaves by moving your fingers opposite of the leaves.
*Chiffonading-mint, basil, lemon balm, sage, red basil; roll tightly and then thinly slice in slivers.
*Shaving-parsley and cilantro; scrape the leaves off the stem with your knife by holding the herb down against the cutting board and scarping.
*Picking-chervil, cilantro, oregano, marjoram; pick each leaf off one by one
*Chopping-chives, dill, mint; use a knife to chop small, most herbs can be chopped.
*Mezzo luna-(curved two handled knife) this is the best tool for chopping herbs. It allows them to keep from being bruised and retains more oils; chop in a curving motion against a cutting board along the rotation of the knife.
*Mortar and pestle-all herbs; best for making rubs and pastes

Freezing

Herbs become dark and limp after freezing so frozen herbs are best used in cooked dishes like soups, stews, sauces, and perhaps some salad dressings.

*Chopped herb medleys in zip locks or freezer containers
*Chopped herb medleys in wine, water, oil, or in ice cube trays
*Frozen herb packets for stock (entire herb or portion of herb)
*Frozen pesto

Drying

People are often afraid to waste herbs, and they are not aware of how easy it is to dry herbs. There are definitely very practical uses for dried herbs.

Microwave- place herbs flat on a paper towel for 35 second intervals until dry and crispy but not burnt.
Hanging- in a well aerated area that is semi-dark, tie up the stems and hang the herbs. They should be dried in 7-9 days.
Flat screen drying- place on a flat screen where air can come from above and below. Herbs should be dried for 7-9 days.
Oven drying- with an oven at 125° F, place herbs flat. The herbs should be dried in 5-10 minutes.

Herbal oils and butters

*Oils-With a handheld food processor, blend herbs of your choice with oil of your choice. Store in the refrigerator and take out to room temperature before use, lasts 3-4 days, excellent for salad dressings.

*Butters-mixed leftover chopped herbs with room temperature butter and refrigerate. Use on vegetables and sandwiches.