Fresh Herbs: a Picture of Healthy Eating Alice Henneman, MS, RD University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Educator Joanne Kinsey, MS Rutgers Cooperative Extension/Rutgers University Family & Community Health Sciences Educator/Assistant Professor

hether you plant them or pick When to Pick or Purchase them up at the grocery store Herbs Wor farmers’ market, adding fresh herbs is a quick way to transform Purchase herbs close to the time you ordinary meals into extraordinary meals. plan to use them. When growing herbs Besides helping flavor foods when in your own garden, the ideal time for cutting back on salt, fat and sugar, herbs picking is in the morning after the dew may offer additional benefits of their has dried but before the sun gets hot. own. Researchers are finding many This helps ensure the best flavor and culinary herbs (both fresh and dried) storage quality. have antioxidants that may help protect against such diseases as cancer and heart How to Store Fresh Herbs disease. Fresh herbs can be stored in an A snip of a fresh herb into a dish Many herbs, such as chives, can easily open or a perforated plastic bag in instantly kicks up the appearance a be grown in a container or garden. your refrigerator crisper drawer for a notch! few days. If you don’t have access to Unless directed otherwise by your Substituting Fresh Herbs commercial perforated bags, use a sharp recipe, add the more delicate herbs — for Dried Herbs object to make several small holes in a basil, chives, cilantro, dill leaves, parsley, regular plastic bag. and mint — a minute or two before the A general guideline when using If you have more herbs than you can end of cooking or sprinkle them on the fresh herbs in a recipe is to use 3 times eat, enjoy herbal bouquets throughout food before it’s served. The less delicate as much as you would your house. You can herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, and use of a dried herb. use either single herbs, thyme, can be added about the last 20 When substituting, combinations of herbs, minutes of cooking. you’ll often be more or you can use the successful substituting herbs as greenery mixed fresh herbs for dried in with other flowers. herbs, rather than the To help preserve the other way around. For aroma and color of example, think potato your herb bouquets, salad with fresh versus If you have extra herbs, place them out of direct dried parsley! enjoy herbal bouquets. sunlight. Popular Herb and Food Combinations BASIL a natural snipped in with tomatoes; terrific in fresh pesto; other possibilities include pasta sauce, peas, zucchini Photos: Alice Henneman, UNL Extension in Alice Henneman, UNL Extension Photos: Lancaster County CHIVES dips, potatoes, tomatoes Top a baked potato with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of chives or CILANTRO Mexican, Asian, and Caribbean cooking; salsas, tomatoes parsley. Compare the potato without DILL carrots, cottage cheese, fish, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes an herb topping and you can see the MINT carrots, fruit salads, parsley, peas, tabbouleh, tea difference! OREGANO peppers, tomatoes PARSLEY The curly leaf is the most common, but the flat-leaf or Italian parsley is Experience what a difference in more strongly flavored and often preferred for cooking. Naturals for appearance and flavor fresh herbs can parsley include potato salad, tabbouleh, egg salad sandwiches make. Better yet … they do this without ROSEMARY chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted potatoes, soups, stews, tomatoes adding extra calories! For example, top SAGE beef, chicken, potatoes, pork, carrots, summer squash a baked potato with a dollop of yogurt THYME eggs, lima beans, potatoes, poultry, summer squash, tomatoes and a sprinkling of chives or parsley. This is a peer reviewed publication Use These Techniques for Chopping Herbs

Basil, mint, sage and other large, leafy herbs — a technique called “chiffonade” can be used: Photos: Alice Henneman, UNL Extension in Alice Henneman, UNL Extension Photos: Lancaster County Chives: • Quickly snip small bundles of chives with a kitchen scissors OR • Cut bundles on a cutting board with a very sharp chef’s knife • Stack 5 or 6 leaves, and roll tightly

Cilantro, parsley and other small-leafed delicate herbs: • Remove leaves (OK to include some tender stems) • Cut crosswise • Bunch on cutting board • Place fingertips on tip of a chef’s knife and rock blade briefly back and forth. Re-gather leaves and chop again if a smaller size is desired.

• This method cuts herbs into narrow ribbons

Thyme, oregano, rosemary, tarragon and other sturdy stemmed, small-leafed herbs: • Hold thumb and index finger together; run down the stem in the opposite direction the leaves have grown. • Chop the same as other herbs, if desired.