No doubt you’ve heard and read that certain herbs can only be used with certain foods, and in a very few cases this is true…perhaps. But, the same rules apply with herbs as with wines…if you like it together…then use it.
There are however some rules that should never be broken or modified…one is when to add herbs to the pot.
If we are baking a bread, a meat dish or casserole, then adding the herbs before cooking is the only option we have…..but baking doesn’t destroy the properties the way high and prolonged stove top cooking does. Therefore, when adding herbs to a soup pot or pasta pot, always make it the last addition…ten minutes before the end cooking time is usually just about perfect.
Bottom line…the longer we cook herbs, the less value we retain.
It’s not a coincidence that nature has provided so many of our medical needs in herbs that taste good.
Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” And he was the father of medicine after all.
The next time you make a pot of soup, add a spoonful of your favorite herb, and know you just did something good for you body.
If you are not educated in the using of culinary herbs……stick around and feel free to ask questions.
Spring is just around the corner and the gardens are always overflowing…..I would love to share with you, and learn from you.
This article about Using Fresh Herbs was written by Bea Kunz. (You may not reprint this article.)
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