Fresh Herbs 101

Lily Barberio

Updated March 31, 2015

If you have your own garden, gather herbs just before using them.
When buying precut herbs, select those with tightly packed leaves. Avoid wilted, yellowed or bruised leaves and soft stems.
Cut herbs with a sharp chef’s knife so as not to bruise the leaves.
Add herbs with tough leaves (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage) at any point during cooking; flavors will be mellower when herbs are added at the beginning, brighter when they are added at the end.
Add herbs with soft leaves (cilantro, mint, tarragon, parsley, basil, chervil) toward the end of cooking.
Be generous; the flavors of fresh herbs are not as concentrated as those of dried, so more is usually better.

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