Tips on Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices can add zest and flavor to many kinds of foods. The following guidelines will help you use them to best advantage.

Most recipes call for dried herbs, unless otherwise indicated. If you are substituting fresh herbs, use approximately four times of the dried amount (eg. 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped basil instead of 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil leaves). While, If you are substituting ground (powdered) herbs for dried leaves, use approximately half the dried amount (eg. 1/4 teaspoon of ground thyme instead of 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves). In substituting fresh spices for ground, use approximately eight times the ground amount (eg. 1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger root instead of 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger).

Dried herbs and spices usually lose their potency after about a year. A good way to check on this is to date the container when you buy it. Open it now and then see if the herb or spice is aromatic. If so, it is still potent; if the aroma has diminished, the recipe may require a larger amount of the seasoning.