The Best Ways to Use Dry & Fresh Culinary Herbs

If you love cooking, try incorporating fresh culinary herbs to take your favorite dish to a gourmet level.

And if you enjoy gardening AND cooking? Then try cooking with your own homegrown culinary herbs because it can be so satisfying and economical!

The Magic of Herbs

Herbs are truly magnificent plants. They enhance flavors in cooking while packing a nutritional punch. They have been used for medicinal purposes since the beginning of time, and magical ones too.

These utilitarian plants are fragrant beyond belief, and add beauty to any garden. They can be used in floral arrangements, potpourris, and wreaths, and make excellent bath, personal care, and beauty products.

Check out these fabulous energizing herbal bath salts!!

I could easily wax on about the qualities and benefits of using herbs forever, but today I want to concentrate on extolling their culinary virtues.

Some Favorite Culinary Herbs to Cook With

For those looking to begin cooking with fresh herbs, there are many different options available depending on what you want to cook and how you want it flavored.

There are such a wide variety of herbs that can be used for cooking. Each has with its own unique flavor and cooking properties.

Some of the most commonly used cooking herbs include basil, thyme, cilantro, and tarragon. These culinary herbs have particularly strong flavors that can complement a wide range of dishes, from rich stews to simple grain dishes or soups.

Fresh vs. Dried

This question comes up a lot with herb newbies, and it’s a very important one to understand when you’re cooking. Fresh herbs have vibrant flavors but are actually more delicate in flavor. This means sometimes you’ll need to use more fresh herbs in a recipe than you would if they were dried.

To start, dried herbs have a much longer shelf life than fresh herbs do. Secondly, as herbs dry, the flavor becomes more intense. And most importnatly: as dried herbs cook, their flavor becomes even more pronounced. This is why it’s important to use dried herbs sparingly! It’s easy to over-season a dish by using more than the recipe calls for, so follow the directions. You can always add more at the end, but once the flavors bloom, you’re kinda stuck.

If you need to substitute dry for fresh herbs, remember: 1 teaspoon of dried herbs = 1 tablespoon of fresh.

The key to to use herbs for enhancing the dish – not to dominate the flavors. So, if you’re trying a recipe for the first time, you might want to use a little less than directed then continue to taste and add as needed.

Which Culinary Herbs to Use?

Mint is great for adding a hint of refreshing flavor to sweeter dishes like fruit salads or desserts. And lavender is delicious for enhancing lemonade, teas, and even ice cream.

For an added punch, try making my quick and easy Hot Honey recipe to your favorite herb blend!

Parsley, chives, thyme, or dill pair well with potato or fish dishes, while rosemary is an ideal choice for grilling meats or vegetables. And basil is amazing with pasta, bruschettas, and many Italian and Mediterranean-style dishes. Thyme is delicious with chicken and in bean dishes.

Try adding herbs to foods that already have strong flavors, like celery with dill, parsley, coriander, or fennel. This will help you figure out which herbs go well with which food items.

TIP: Always do a taste test first to see if you even like the flavor! If you don’t like the flavor of the herb in its raw state, then don’t risk using it in your dish. Find one you do enjoy that you feel would complement the dish, then proceed from there or leave it out entirely.

Timing & Technique Count

When using herbs in your cooking, it really does matter when you add them. For example, you’ll want to add strong-flavored culinary herbs like rosemary, Bay leaves and thyme early on so the flavors can infuse with the rest of the ingredients.

Herbs added at the end of cooking is a great finish for brightening up the flavors as well as garnishing the dish. I often add freshly chopped parsley, chives and/or cilantro at the end to give the dish a more professional and finished look.

Also, avoid going crazy with the chopping of the herbs! These delicate plants can easily bruise, which can actually cause the flavors to become bitter. Be sure to use a very sharp knife so you can make quick and precise cuts to avoid bruising, or gently mash with a mortar and pestle. A mortar and pestle works well with dried herbs as well, and so does an herb grinder.

TIP: When storing fresh herbs, cut the stems at the bottom about 1/2″, and place in a jar or glass that has about one-inch of water (as you would with a bouquet of flowers). Cover the herbs and jar/glass with a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator. You will now be able to enjoy fresh culinary herbs for a couple of weeks or longer! I do this mostly with parsley, rosemary, and cilantro.

More Ways to Use Fresh Culinary Herbs in Cooking

One of the simplest methods to use fresh herbs is to simply chop them up and add to softened butter, then chill to use later. Some delicious flavor combinations I like to use with my butters are: parsley, garlic, and lemon zest; dill, lemon zest, and garlic chives; and mint, orange zest, and scallions (delicious on salmon!).

You can also steep herbs in oil or vinegars to make delicious marinades or dressings. Some favorite flavor combos for these are: rosemary, thyme and garlic and olive oil (excellent on roasted veggies and salads – especially with a splash of balsamic vinegar; tarragon, chives, and lemon zest pair well with a delicate salad and seafood; plus basil, oregano, and garlic with olive oil is an outstanding and light sauce on pasta as well as vegetables and Greek salads.

I typically use olive oil for my herbal infusions, but you can also use sunflower, avocado, or coconut oils. NOTE: Coconut oil will harden when cool so it’s best to store the mixture in a small wide-mouth jar so you can scoop out the mixture vs. pouring it out.

Lastly, try adding finely chopped herbs to salads and soups to heighten the seasonings and senses. A sprinkling of mint over watermelon brings a whole new dimension to this fruity dish. And topping vanilla ice cream with a few crushed lavender petals or a freshly snipped lemon balm leaf is not only beautiful, it’s also delicious!

Some Favorite Culinary Herb Blends

I do love to mix and match fresh or dry culinary herbs with some olive oil and vinegars to use as a dipping oil with generous chunks of crusty rustic bread. One of my favorite and easiest dipping oils is my Rosemary Dipping Oil recipe. It’s easy to make and the flavors strengthen the longer you let the herbs and garlic steep.

When serving dipping oils, you’ll want to use a shallow sauce or dipping dish so the oil and culinary herb mixture is better distributed on the bread.

You can also mix herbs with various spices and pantry staples for powerhouse seasonings to different dishes. (here is a fabulous laminated chef’s guide to cooking with herbs & spices for under $20.00!)

A few of my favorite herbal blends are:

• Basil + cilantro + garlic + lime + mint
• Basil + lemon + olive oil
• Cilantro + garlic + olive oil + red chili flakes + balsamic vinegar
• Cilantro + lime zest + basil + mint + red
• Parsley + red chili flakes + garlic + balsamic vinegar + olive oil
• Garlic + parsley + lemon zest + olive oil + walnuts
• Dill + tarragon + parsley
• Rosemary + garlic + red chili flakes + olive oil + balsamic vinegar
• Rosemary + honey + lemon zest + red wine vinegar
• Sage + walnuts + lemon zest + toasted bread crumbs + olive oil over baked brie
• Thyme + orange zest + oregano + parsley

Some Popular Culinary Herbs For World-Wide Cuisines

Various cuisines around the world are defined by the distinct flavors of their foods, which are often from different herbs and spices native to their country. Here are some of the more commonly used herbs used in different cuisines from around the world:

• Chinese: Cilantro (Coriander), Scallions (Green Onions), Ginger, Chinese Celery Leaves, Perilla, Angelica Sinensis, Wolfberry Leaves, Chinese Parsley and Garlic Chives
• Japanese: Sansho Peper Leaves, Mitsuba (Japanese Parsley), Perilla, Sansho, Garlic Chives, Wasabi, Ginger, Mitsuba, Mugwort, and Parsley
• Thai: Thai Basil, Cilantro and Cilantro Roots, Karrir Lime Leaves, and Lemon Grass
• Indian: Cilantro, Mint, Fenugreek Leaves (Methi), Basil (Tulsi), Dill, Curry Leaves, and Garlic Chives
• Middle Eastern and North African Cuisines: Parsley, Mint, Cilantro, Dill, Tarrogon, Rosemary, Bay Leaves, Sage, Za’atar, African Basil, and Marjoram
• Italian: Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, Sage, Fennel Fronds, and Marjoram
• Greek: Oregano, Dill, Mint, Thyme, and Bay Leaves
• French: Tarragon, Thyme, Chervile, Lavender, Rosemary, and Sage
• Caribbean and Latin America: Cilantro, Epazote, Culantro (Recao), Thyme, Parsley, Scallions, Mint, and Bay Leaves
• British: Parsley, Mint, Thyme, Chives, Sage, and Bay Leaves
• Eastern European: Dill, Caraway Leaves, Chervil, Sorrel, Parsley, and Lovage
• Spanish Cuisine: Parsley, Bay Leaves, Thyme, Rosemary, Saffron, Oregano and Cilantro
• Mexican: Parsley, Epazote, Cilantro, Mexican Oregano, Mint, Hoja Santa, and Bay Leaves (Laurel)
• Burmese Cuisine: Cilantro, Mint, Lemograss, Turmeric Leaves, Pandan Leaves (Paduak), Garlic Chives, and Roselle Leaves
• American: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Cilantro, Thyme, Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chives, Dill, and Bay Leaves
• Nordic: Dill, Parsley, Chives, Thyme, Lovage, Sorrel, Angelica, Juniper Berries, Bay Leaves, and Fennel Fronds

A Few Final Tips on Cooking With Fresh Herbs

When cooking with fresh herbs, always remember that less is more. It’s easy to add too much and end up overwhelming the dish. Rosemary, sage, and thyme are particularly easy to overseason with. Start with a little bit, and then add more if necessary.

The herbs you choose will depend largely on personal preference – so experiment with a few different kinds until you find the perfect herb combinations for your cooking style!