Herbs and Spices
lynnescountrykitchen.net
| A Brief History | Herb and Spice Chart | Create Your Own |
Using Herbs
Other than prescribed medicated dosages, the safest way to get the benefits of herbs is to use them in cooking. First, however, it is good to know what we are dealing with. When most people think of herbs, it is a broad definition, but to simply explain it -
HERBS - Are the aromatic leaves of herbaceous plants (plants with stems that are soft rather than woody). They are valued in the kitchen for their natural aromatic oils, which are used to accent and enhance the flavor of foods or, on occasion, to provide the essential ingredient in a recipe, such as basil in pesto and dill in dill sauce. Herbs are also used as fragrances, medicines, cosmetics, teas, dyes and ornaments.
SPICES - Come from the seeds, bark, roots, fruit or flowers of plants. They add flavor and color to both sweet and savory dishes. Like herbs, they are a component of fragrances and medicines. For thousands of years spices were an important world commodity, actively traded and in part responsible for expeditions that led to the discovery of the New World. During the Middle Ages the demand for spices in Europe was so great that they were considered as valuable as gold.
Fresh herbs are much more gentle than dried, normally requiring twice as much in any recipe. Dried herbs and spices need time to release their flavors and are added to the food at the beginning of cooking, while fresh are added near the end. Spices are much more powerful and need to be respected (not feared). The mention of cayenne pepper makes some people cringe. Use both sparingly at first until you achieve the taste you like.
Keeping this in mind, we can understand how they can be used effectively. The use of fresh or dried herbs and spices enhances the flavor of foods without the excess use of salt. Aside from their healing powers, this benefit alone is very important for our better health. Also, the combination of herbs are so numerous that it allows the cook nearly unlimited flavor blends for all dishes. This not only allows the taste buds to enjoy the meal, but aids in digestion as well. Chefs continue to create inspired dishes just by changing the herbs, spices and flavor blends they use.
AVAILABILITY ~ Fresh herbs for cooking have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years. Some of the more common fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme, are available year-round in large supermarkets. They can be found either cut or potted. Most herbs are easily grown in the home garden. Dried herbs and spices, bot leaf and ground form, are readily available all year in any supermarket.
BUYING TIPS ~ When purchasing fresh herbs, look for brightly colored, fresh-looking leaves without any brown spots or signs of wilting.
STORAGE ~ Fresh herbs are very perishable, so purchase them in small amounts. For short-term storage, place the herb stems in water. Cover leaves loosely with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. They will last from 2 days (basil, chives, dill, mint, oregano) to 5 days (rosemary,sage, tarragon, thyme).
TIP ~ When herbs are dried their oils become more pungent. As a general rule of thumb, when substituting dried herbs for fresh, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs for 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs.