Fresh herbs vs. Dried,
When reading different recipes some call for fresh and some indicate dried. Is this a matter of the author's taste or is one always used over the other is certain recipes? Is fresh always the best? Is dried always used in specific recipes?
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11 Comments:
There can be a number of reasons. Generally there will be a clue in the recipe. Dried herbs are much stronger flavored than fresh. Sometimes that's a specific factor in the cook's mind when developing the recipe. Also, dried herbs tend to be better suited to longer cooking times, so a pot roast will typically call for dried herbs. Fresh herbs should usually be added only at the very end of cooking due to their delicate nature. Of course, there are exceptions. Woody herbs, like rosemary, are pretty sturdy, even when fresh. Many "old" dishes (recipes that have been around forever) will call for dried or fresh herbs depending on the seasonality of the dish. That is to say, dishes that were traditionally "wintery" will tend to call for dried herbs (preserved, available outside of the growing season). Meanwhile, dishes that were tradtionally only available in the spring or summer, will tend to call for fresh herbs.
Dried or fresh -- one is not always better than another. It's a matter of what the herb is intended to accomplish in the dish, your personal taste, etc.
LoCo at 12:54PM on 06/23/08
I generally use dried versions of herbs that are potent (oregano, etc.) and fresh herbs that are milder, or whose texture is specific to a recipe (parsley, for example.) I think for the most part you can substitute dried herbs in a pinch, but I generally use fresh if it's available. Also, it does depend on the recipe - For example, I make a garlic cheese sauce for pasta that's heavy, and fresh basil would really wilt or get lost in it - dried in this case retains a heavy flavor without distracting from the creaminess of the sauce.
embolini9 at 1:00PM on 06/23/08
That's what I would have said, but more and better.
@LoCo - SO glad to have you back!!!!
PerkyMac at 1:02PM on 06/23/08
@LoCo - welcome back, you've been missed!!!
Re: herbs, while I generally favour fresh herbs, you may really be better off using dry in some applications - e.g., I prefer using dried rosemary when I make oven roasted potatoes w/rosemary, as the fresh one has a tendency to burn.
brooke29 at 1:07PM on 06/23/08
@LoCo - I was unclear. I agree with everything you said, but you said it better than I could have. I'm giddy with delight that you've returned - you add so much to these forums!!!
PerkyMac at 1:13PM on 06/23/08
I'm of the opposite mind with rosemary: I prefer fresh because I can chop it very finely and it still has some tenderness, whereas the dried often stays hard and poke-y in the dish. I would want to grind dried rosemary before using it.
Some herbs change dramatically with drying, such as basil and dill. If I use dried basil, I use it like dried oregano, and saute it with aromatics at the beginning. Dried dill I almost never use, which is a shame because I love it. Fresh dill is one of my very favorite things ever, and I love to chop it (seriously, I love chopping dill) and then shower it all over everything, especially with lemon.
renzata at 1:51PM on 06/23/08
please forgive my momentary thread hijack...
@perky, @brooke... thanks for your kind words...blush... :-x
Okey dokey... Thread returned! Sorry! Carry on...LoCo at 2:01PM on 06/23/08
May I join the chorus - I was thrilled to see you back, LoCo - and with your usual great contribution! I am always conflicted, almost always use fresh no matter what the recipe says; I'll have to rethink this
islandexile at 1:02AM on 06/24/08
better late than never i guess, Welcome Back LoCo! you really have been missed!
I like dried herbs usually for the consistancy. However, i really cant stand dried basil or parsley, i make a nice light red sauce that about the only herb in it is basil and to me it has to be fresh. for some reason, probably my crappy palate, dried parsley just doesnt taste like anything to me, its pretty green flakes but thats about it, no flavor at all.
huneybumper at 7:11AM on 06/24/08
@huney - I'm with you on the dried parsley, I don't think it has any resemblance to the real thing, I think it defeats the purpose of parsley - the brightness, the fragrance, the freshness are KEY with parsley.
embolini9 at 9:26AM on 06/24/08
I echo what renzata said about basil and dill, and what huney said about parsley. Neither dill nor parsley in dried form taste like their fresh counterparts, the way they're supposed to taste. Until reading the above comments I wasn't sure if that was the case or if I was using stale herbs. Likely both.
I'm currently growing lavender and basil, looking forward to adding mint and cilantro. Maybe rosemary, but I rarely use it.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 9:47AM on 06/24/08