Cooking Tip of the Day - Herbs

There's a few differences between dried and fresh herbs as far as flavor and ways to use them. A few small tips are as follows:

-If you are substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs you generally need 3 times what the recipe would call for. E.G. 3 tbsp of fresh parsley will have the same impact as 1 tbsp of dried.

-If you are adding dried herbs to a dish you can get more punch from their flavor by adding them directly to the warm oil. E.G. Making tomato sauce, for instance, you can add the herbs at the end of the cooking process and season to taste, or you can add them directly to the oil at the beginning of the process. It will create two completely different flavor profiles.

-Fresh herbs are very fragile as are their oils. Treat them carefuly and always add fresh herbs towards the end of cooking. Their oils can breakdown under high heat and some can turn bitter. If you add them too early in the cooking process you will literally just cook out the flavor.

Fresh herbs are an inexpensive way to bring meals to another level. They add freshness and flavor to a dish that can otherwise be bland. Plus, you can grow most of them indoors in the right conditions and have them for the cost of a little water and some seedlings.