Easy Guide to Food And Drinks

May 31, 2010

How To Store Fresh Herbs

Filed under: Cooking Tips — Tags: , , — CakeAuthor @ 9:18 pm

Herbs are used for many different purposes. Many are used for cooking and many more are used for medicinal purposes. Many gardeners who are into growing herbs often like storing fresh herbs for their use or for giving to friends and relatives. There are several ways of storing fresh herbs that can be easy and still be able to maintain the herbs flavor and effect. Storing fresh herbs will retain their flavor, but the best idea would still be to cook with fresh herbs.

Long Term Tips For Storing Fresh Herbs

If you like storing fresh herbs for a year’s use, these tips for storing herbs long term are best for you. Right after plucking the fresh herbs from your home herb garden, rinse them and lay them out on a paper napkin to absorb excess water. Eliminating excess water is due to the fact that you may accelerate the spoiling of the herbs since it contains bacteria. Once the herbs are dry, you can wrap them in a paper towel and have them placed in a plastic zip bag and in the crisper or freezer. Storing fresh herbs this way assures you that there is not much liquid in the plastic to rot the herbs.

Another tip for storing fresh herbs is to separate the leaves from the stem. This will help to isolate them and reduce the possibility of rotting, mold and spoilage. Other herbs such as thyme or rosemary can be hung to dry. This does not damage them in any way to be hung upside down. Drying fresh herbs may not be a way to store fresh herbs but you can retain the flavor this way as well as the medicinal properties.

Short Term Tips For Storing Fresh Herbs

You can also store fresh herbs by immersing then in water. You will not be able to store fresh herbs long term this way. The first thing to do is to take out dead or diseased stems and leaves from the bunch of herbs. Cut of a small portion of the ends that will be submerged in water. Find a small container to place your herbs. Make sure that when you submerge the stems in water that you do not include the leaves. Make sure that there are no holes when you wrap the entire container and the leaves in plastic wrap.

 

March 21, 2010

Culinary Herbs - The Top Five

Filed under: Cooking Tips — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — CakeAuthor @ 7:28 am

There are numerous wonderful culinary herbs that it’s difficult to pick just five for our list, but here they are:

1. Basil. The scent of basil when gently rubbed between your fingers is strong and heavenly. For pasta lovers this herb should be tops. It reminds us of long, relaxing summer days and it is especially good with fresh garlic, crushed black pepper, big cuts of mozarella, generous slices of juicy beef tomatoes all drizzled with an oil and vinegar dressing. And let’s not forget pesto sauce! Basil is the main ingredient there. Basil not only complements Italian food but also American and Thai cuisines.

2. Lavender. Our favorite herb blend is Herbes De Provence and lavender helps make up this delightful mix, along with fennel. thyme, savory and others. It’s great on grilled food, especially fish, and in veggie soups and meaty stews too. Not only is lavender for eating, it helps us de-stress. Lavender helps relax the body, so a lavender bouquet by your pillow will help you have a great night’s sleep!

3. Dill. Great with pickles! And it’s perfect with salmon. It’s decorative and delicious!

4. Rosemary. This herb can grow very large! This shrub that can be tamed into mini culinary Christmas trees - a perfect gift for anyone who loves to cook. It smells heavenly too and it’s a perfect accompaniment for tomatoes and grilled veggies, soup and meat.

5. Cilantro rounds out our top five. It has a very different aroma and certainly livens up a dish. It’s the perfect herb for pico de galloand basically any Mexican dishes!

So many herbs are available that it’s hard to pick just five top herbs. Growing herbs can be a fun pastime, so if you’ve ever fancied the idea of a herb garden then try growing these five You will then have a mix of herbs to enhance your dishes that are within easy reach, for whatever type of dish you are making.

March 17, 2010

Culinary Herbs - An Aromatic Taste Sensation!

Filed under: Food-And-Drink — Tags: , , , , , — CakeAuthor @ 8:01 pm

If you love to cook be aware what a difference using fresh herbs, instead of dried ones, can make to a dish. Fresh herbs can take an average dish and make it an aromatic taste sensation! Culinary herbs add a lot of flavor and fragrance to your dishes that once you get in the habit of using them you’ll never want to use herbs from jars again. And if you are trying to cut calories, using herbs will help you cut calories and still enjoy your food. Using fresh herbs can replace the need for lots of salt and fat, thus keeping calories low.

One of the many pluses of culinary herbs is that they are very easy to grow. You can grow them indoors on a sunny windowsill or outdoors in your garden. Many herbs for cooking look beautiful in a garden, especially lavender when in bloom, and they can offer wonderful variety to your garden - rosemary bushes are fragrant and can grow very tall and they stay green year round. For smaller herbs pretty pots, window boxes, planters and hanging baskets are big enough.

When out grocery shopping it is easy to pick up a container of freshly cut herbs, but if you grow your own you can snip at them as needed and have a constant supply of culinary herbs at hand - so growing herbs at home is easy, and cost effective. Unsure of which herbs to grow? Some that are great to use when cooking are basil, cilantro, chives, thyme and rosemary. They need little and in return flourish with ease.

You don’t need much to start growing your culinary herbs, but these pointers are important to remember: herbs need plenty of sun, they cannot tolerate over-watering and they thrive in soil that drains well. to get a head start on your herb garden visit a nursery and buy potted herbs that have already grown and are ready to use.

With minimal extra planning, using herbs in your cooking will help enhance your dish without adding much to the cost. There are countless recipes available to help you get started - from pesto sauce which uses cupfuls of basil, to lesser known ones that need just a small sprinkling of herbs. Whichever you choose you will be delighted with the outcome.

For more information on when to plant, growing herbs, both indoors and out, and more visit growherbstoday.com.

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