Ingredient Information

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

For most chefs and cooks the one ingredient that will distinguish a good dish from a great one is using fresh herbs. Certainly the best and least expensive way is to plant herbs for your own use but, of course, this limits availability. Most groceries have a fair choice of fresh herbs and specialty stores will carry even more.

The rule of thumb when you have no choice but to use dried herbs is: use one teaspoon of dried for each 3 teaspoons of fresh. In the off season when using dried herbs is impossible to avoid, it can help to mince about one teaspoon into a tablespoon of fresh curly parsley. This can simulate the freshness of some herbs.