Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Fresh herbs whenever you need them
Ervas frescas a qualquer momento

The Scenario: Recipe that calls for any fresh herbs

The Character: single person or couple with no kids

The Dilemma: ignore the instructions and just use the convenient dried herbs that will be just waiting for you on your shelf whenever you need it, sacrificing a bit of the flavor, or buy a fresh bunch, use a very small portion of it and risk it end up going bad because you couldn't think of anything else to use it on.

Obviously, if you are an experienced cook, this is far from an issue, as you very likely can find a million different ways to use the fresh herbs lurking in your fridge. But if you, like my not-too-long-ago self, are not at that creative and bold point yet and just go by exactly what the recipes call for, the dilemma is very real.  


Chopped parsley

Enter a precious tip from my grandma: You can actually chop your entire bunch of herb, use whatever amount you need and freeze the rest! The flavor is definitely superior than that of store-bought dried herbs, with the bonus convenience of  prolonged storage.

There's no need to thaw the herb! Just grab what you need from the container or ziploc bag (break it with a fork if they're too hard) and use it right away in your dish.

While I was growing up, my grandma always had a container full of chopped chives, and another full of parsley for everyday dishes. I have also found out that it works for cilantro.


If any of you has had experience (good or bad) freezing other herbs, I'd love to hear!

I hope this helps!

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