Herbs And Cooking
When cooking herbs there are certain things you need to remember. The food will taste as good as the mood you are in and whatever herbs you use to spice up the meal is according to one's own personal taste. Experimenting with herbs is fun and adds a bit of pizazz to one's daily meals.
Magnify Meal Flavor
Using dried herbs? Soak them for several minutes in the liquid that is to be used in the recipe.
Herbal salad dressing: Let the herbs soak for about 15 minutes to an hour. This way the herb flavor is allowed to combine with the other ingredients and add to the taste.
Herb flavor in cooked food: Rub them with your hands before cooking to release their oils.
For flavorful steamed/boiled vegetables: Add the herbs to melted butter and allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes before seasoning the vegetables. Want increased herb flavor? Toast your herbs briefly in a dry heavy skillet before using.
Freeze Dried Herbs?
To help preserve flavor, freeze your herbs. How? Remove leaves from stemmed herbs, brush off any soil with a brush, and do not wash. Next, place the leaves on a cookie sheet and freeze them for several hours. Then place them gently in freezer containers or bags. Remove and use as needed. (An alternative method: Just place the herbs in a baggie, squeeze the air out of it, then freeze.)
To Blanch Or Not To Blanch.
Some, not all, herbs should be blanched before freezing. Blanching an herb may maintain its color, but may destroy the flavor. The only herb that must be blanched before freezing is basil, which will otherwise turn black. Other herbs will last for up to 6 months in the freezer, if frozen just after harvesting.
To blanch, simply put leaves in a strainer and pour boiling water over them for one second. Lay them on paper towels and let them cool before freezing. Do not get the idea that you
can put the herbs into cold water to "speed up" the cooling process. If you do, you will destroy the flavor of the herbs. So let them cool naturally.
Other Tips
When preparing a sauce, soup, stew or sautT, it is recommended that you use 2 tsps. of minced, fresh herbs which should serve four people. To get the best aroma, rub the leaves between your hands or mince up the herbs using scissors or knife. Additionally, you can place the herbs in a paper bag, then roll over the bag with a rolling pin to release flavor! If you use a food processor to cook, use the herbs in larger amounts than specified.
Whole leaves are best used in marinades, soups, stews and punches. For soups and stews, add fresh herbs during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
Fresh herbs can last up to two weeks if you place them in jars filled with 1 - 2 inches of water. Cover and refrigerate.
Recommended book:
"Cooking with Herbs: Over 200 Delicious Recipes for Good Health & Long Life"
by John Ettinger.
Info/order this book
More books on cooking with herbs.
Reference: Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs, published by Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
