Tips and Tricks from the Professionals
Herbs
Left to right): Cinnamon basil, ‘Red Rubin’, bush basil and ‘Greek Mini’. Sally Tagg Sweet or ‘Genovese’ basil is the most popular variety, with its large, fresh green leaves prized for pesto. Lemon and lime basil have a distinctive, citrusy kick to their flavour and scent. ‘Mrs Burns Lemon’ is the best of the bunch. Purple …
To clean coarse cumin powder, sift it in a fine-mesh sieve. Alton Brown
Fresh basil is best kept at room temperature with the stalks in water. Elisabeth Prueitt, Tartine Bakery, San Francisco
When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around. Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery and Cafe, Boston
There isn’t one way to store all of your fresh herbs because herbs themselves fall into two categories: hard and soft. Food52 explains the difference and suggests the right method to keep each type of herb fresh for a longer time. Hard herbs are the ones with woody stems, like rosemary, oregano, marjoram and thyme. …
Using an ice cube tray, fill with herbs and cover with olive oil and freeze.
When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.Joanne Chang – Flour Bakery & Cafe, Boston
Fresh basil keeps much better and longer at room temperature with the stems in water.Elisabeth Prueitt – Tartine Bakery, San Francisco
When chopping up fresh herbs, don’t ‘bash’ them with the knife — slicing gently will retain more flavour. If you can see lots of stains on the board after chopping up herbs, you were being too rough. Giovanni Pilu
Didn’t have a chance to use all of your fresh herbs? Freeze them in ice-cube trays with water or chicken broth to use later.. prevents wastage and spoilage. Carol Carlton
From: www.adventuresinspice.com
When using fresh herbs such as cilantro or parsley, add whole stems to salads and sandwiches, and chop and stir leaves into salsas and guacamole.Aarón Sánchez – Chefs vs. City