The benefits of culinary herbs and spices are primarily due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects.
Herbs and spices should be used to enhance and balance, not over-power a foods flavor.
Emperor Charlemagne of the 9th Century wrote: “An herb is a friend of physicians and the praise of cooks.”
Of the 9 most popular herbs, 6 of them are from the Family Lamiacea – more commonly known as the Mint Family.
Those six are: Basil, Peppermint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme.
Adding these 6 herbs to your daily diet will in fact be adding a large dose of good health to your life. It will also allow you to reduce salt, fat, and sugars from your foods. These three ingredients are used to give dead and bland foods taste/flavor. When you can put back or draw from the food itself, the natural flavoring, and the need for artificial additions isn’t necessary.
Fresh from your garden is of course the most beneficial method of using herbs. When this isn’t an option, the next best method is fresh dried; this is accomplished by hanging in a clean, cool, and dark place where dust and bugs do not have access. Remove from hanging as soon as they are dry and strip from the stalk, storing in glass or the proper type paper containers until ready for use. Never store in plastic, it will absorb the oils and the herbs will go stale very easily.
The finer the leaf is crushed, the quicker the oils are lost. The oils are the life of the herb.
To test your herbs for life, between your fingers, crush a small amount, if the aroma is strong and pleasant-the herbs are still good for using. If however, the aroma is slight and musty-it’s time to toss and start with fresh.
For stove-top cooking, add herbs the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time.
Baking does not destroy the oils as quickly as stove-top heat.
Fresh or dried can be sprinkled into foods just before serving for a very delicious and healthy addition to your dining experience.
There are no hard and fast rules when using herbs and spices……with the exception of a few, they can be crossed used.
So get creative, try different blends, find your own signature flavor and then share it with those around you.
Happy cooking!
Bea Kunz
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