Culinary Herbs Flavor Any Dish

Delicious Herbs for Cooking

Culinary herbs used in cooking are distinguished from vegetables usually used in small amounts to flavor foods without adding additional calories.  Reducing salt intake can make a huge difference in your weight. Reducing fluid retention helps your body rid itself of water weight lowering slat intake. Herbs have been used for thousands of years adding flavorful seasoning to many delicious meals increasing nutrition. Flavoring savory recipes with fresh herbs is a nutritious way to spice up any dish adding roughly chopped herbs while cooking intensifies the aroma of chives, parsley, rosemary.

When cooking with herbs, add them to the dish at the end of the cooking time maintaining the intensity of flavor delicate flavors will not be lost during food preparation. Herbs are plants high in nutrition value including protective combinations of polyphenols plant compounds with potent anti-inflammatory properties. Herbs are aromatic plants with a savory essence used to garnish or flavor food.

Consumed for dietary micronutrients some plants have photochemical compounds that have effects on the body often consumed to improve nutrition. Fresh herbs can add extraordinary flavor to any dish without adding calories while seasoning foods. 

Growing Herbs

Herbs can be grown in a garden in large quantities or in small pots during the growing season to provide fresh herbs for cooking purposes. One basil plant is cost effective providing enough basil during the season to add to recipes, sauces, stew, and pesto. Dry cut herbs in bunches tied with twine then hung on a drying rack until needed for cooking. Nord Eagle Wooden Herb Dryer 6"x 8" decorative wall plaque dries flower, spices, and herbs include 5 hook bonus with twine makes drying herbs a breeze in small quantities. 

Preserve the bounty of your garden using a natural wood dryer, a perfect addition to any gardener's kitchen. Hand harvested bunches of fresh herbs upside down until the herbs are completely dry then transfer the herbs to storage containers for later use. Fresh culinary herbs can be purchased at your local grocery store in the produce aisle dried herbs can be found in the spice section. 

Kitchen  Spices and dried herbs can withstand a longer cooking time without losing flavor. Fresh herbs have become more readily available in most local grocery stores usually found in the produce section. Herbs can be infused in boiling water to make a wide variety of herbal teas usually made from edible dried leaves, flowers, seeds to create a unique tea blend. 

Herbal Teas

Some teas are used for medicinal purposes often used to induce relaxation promoting better sleep patterns. Chamomile tea is the common name for several daisy plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the spices Matricaria recutita and Anthemis nobilis are commonly used to make herbal infusions for traditional medicine for thousands of years with encouraging results. PubMed Central clinical study 2017 investigated the effects of Chamomile on the sleep quality of adults. 

Participants who ingested 200 mg of Chamomile extract twice per day showed significant improvements in sleep quality. Chamomile can be used as a natural remedy for sleeplessness. The chamomile plant is an edible herb that can be added to many dishes to create marinades, flavored oils or garnishes.  Use the leaves and flowers of the Chamomile plant to make spice blends or herbal tea infusions.

Culinary Herbs

Grilling with herbs is a simply delicious cooking method used to infuse more flavor into any dish. Herbal marinades create a unique blend of flavors Herbal oils are easy to make combining fresh herbs to olive oil infuse flavor into the oil.  Cooking with Herbs can change the flavor of any recipe without adding calories. Herbal oils can be brushed on meats, chicken and fish while roasting to add a depth of flavor to any cuisine. Acopia clear glass Cruet with wire bail lid prevents spills locking in freshness is great for infusing oils perfectly balanced to rest on trays and tabletops for storing herbal infused oils.

The 35oz clear glass jar capacity works great as a display for gourmet oils and vinegar. The contemporary design blends style with function for an unforgettable experience infusing oils with a hermetic top to seal in freshness. Make gourmet herbal oils for cooking using a combination of fresh herbs with cloves of fresh garlic to drizzle on top of grilled meats layer in subtle earthy tones. Prepare a 32oz glass jar with lid sterling it to make sure the jar and lid is clean then dried.  Any water can lead to spoilage.

Place 5 fresh peeled garlic cloves in the bottom of a 32-ounce glass jar.  Fill the bottle with a combination of fresh sprigs of herbs including, thyme, 2 sprigs of rosemary, and the rind of one half lemon sliced thinly. Fill the bottle with olive oil to cover the herbs, garlic, and lemon.  Using a knife or chopstick move the herbs around the jar to ensure all the pockets are filled with oil.  Fill the jar right to the brim with olive oil. 

Cover the jar with a sealed lid then shake the ingredients slightly to combine.  Place the bottle on top of a plate to protect all surfaces from spills during the herbal infusion process. Store the jar in a cool location inside your house for 3-6 weeks to infuse the oil with flavor. Strain the oil into your storage bottles over the cheesecloth to remove the solids from the oil then discard the herbs. Cork then label your bottle herbal infusion. The oil should last at room temperature for 1-2 years adding 2 capsules of vitamin E to the bottle to preserve freshness.

Cheers! Patricia Lynn

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