Herbs kitchen A-Z 🌿

When cooking we use herbs and spices to increase the intrinsic taste of the food, but not to cover it. Herbs contain many vitamins and minerals and are therefore a valuable supplement and improvement of the dishes.

Herbs should always be used fresh and finely chopped, because they are so particularly aromatic.


The main rules for the use of herbs


Fresh herbs contain much vitamin C.

Therefore wash herbs just before using and finely chop them. Grind dried herbs between fingertips before using. Thus the aroma will be enhanced.


Use the following herbs especially sparingly:

Mugwort, Lovage, Marjoram, Thyme.


Use the following herbs mostly fresh:

Borage, dill, chervil, parsley, chives and lemon balm.

Basil should not be washed before use, otherwise it loses its aroma and its typical smell


Storage and shelf life of food:

When freezing food to note:


Some herbs and spices lose their aroma:

Anise, savory, marjoram, nutmeg, paprika, pepper and mustard.


In other herbs and spices, the aroma is enhanced:

Basil, dill, tarragon, sage and thyme.


The aroma of all other spices remains unchanged.


Furthermore, you can pick up herbs that you want to store something as follows:

Wash, then place them in a water-filled container, put a freezer bag over and put in the fridge.

So herbs stay fresh for about a week or sometimes even longer.

Especially in the vegetarian kitchen a great importance is attached to seasoning. But also for normal cooking should be taken for health reasons as little salt as possible.

With a little time and practice, beginners will also learn how to prepare delectable dishes with sensitivity and imagination. It is recommended to start with small spice quantities first. You can then add something from one or the other, because an over-spiced food can not be saved even by the best cook.


Tips for dealing with herbs and spices

Almost every apartment has a sunny window seat where herbs can be grown in a pot or in a flower box. After each cut, the herbs will sprout again: So you always have fresh herbs that you can use at any time.

If you wrap fresh herbs in a damp kitchen towel and put them in a plastic bag, they can be kept well closed in the refrigerator for a few days.

Fresh herbs are added to the food just before the end of cooking so that their entire aroma can develop and it does not go away.

Dried herbs and spices should always be stored airtight and dark, otherwise they will change their aroma and reduce the spiciness. Different spices and herbs should never be stored in the same container so that their flavorings do not mix.

Whole spice grains should only be cooked in the dishes if you can remove them after cooking. Seasoning is done shortly before serving with freshly ground or cracked spices. Basically, only so many herbs or spices come into a dish, as necessary, to support and refine the intrinsic taste of the food.


Term - Herb name Usage
Anise Liqueur production, cakes, pastries
Basil Oxtail soup, pate, omelets, white beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce
Mugwort Pork, Beef, Poultry

Savory

(Never cook it, adding just before serving)

Beans, beans vegetables, soups, stews, vegetable soups, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage dishes, meat stews, pepper substitute in green lettuce, cucumber salad (better digestion)
Watercress Salads
Cayenne pepper Fish dishes, soups, sauces, rice dishes, salads
Curry Curry, pork, beef, asian rice and chicken dishes, crab, shrimp, prawn, curry sauce
Dill Cucumbers, salads, soups, sauces, fish, potatoes, pasta, mayonnaise
Tarragon Vinegar production, game stew, cucumber canning, Bernaise sauce, Hollandaise sauce, vegetable soups, fish, venison, meat
Ginger Onion and potato soups, beans, pickled cucumbers, roast meats, fruit salad, cooked and preserved fruits, ginger biscuits
Capers Sauces, salads, ragout fin (for queen pies), Königsberger minced meat balls
Chervil Sauces, soups, herb butter, cottage cheese
Garlic Dressings, vegetables, marinades (almost everything)
Coriander Salad dressings
Cress Salads, bread and butter, buttered bread
Caraway Seed Potatoes, cabbage, sauces, cheese, quark, junket, curd, lamb
Curcuma (very hot) Rice, meat, potatoes
Lovage (very intensive) Sauces and Soups
Laurel Spicy and sour sauces, broth, stain, lentil soup, beef, meat marinade, flavoring vinegar, pickling cucumbers and pumpkins, red cabbage
Majoram Pork ragout, goose ragout, rabbit ragout, omelette, fish sauces, roast, liver dumplings, potato soup, vegetable stew, soups, tomato dishes, pizzas, goulash, legumes, minced meat, mutton, veal and lamb dishes
Lovage (Maggi herbs) Sauces and Soups
Horseradish Salads, grated with meat dishes and sauces
Nutmeg Mashed potatoes, bechamel sauce, vegetable gratin, cabbage, white meat, ragouts, minced meat, vegetable soups, meat soups, cake and pastries
Cloves Marinades, cabbage, roast pork, pot roast, boiled fish, mulled wine, compote, sauerkraut, game, beetroot
Oregano (Wilder Majoran) Sauces, roasts, fish, soups, pizza, paella, stew, poultry, salad, goulash
Paprika Chicken, meat dishes, pasta, sauces
Paprika (hot (roses) paprika) Hungarian goulash, serbian bean soup, shashlik, stew, exotic vegetables, sauces, rice dishes
Parsley Vegetables, salads, soups, egg dishes, fish, sauces, potatoes
Pepper (dried, black or white) All kind of meat, dressings, sauces
Pepper (fresh, green) Sauces, dressings
Rosemary Mutton, pork and veal, minced meat, tomato dishes, cooking fish, game, rice dishes
Sage Game dishes, peas, carrots, beans, tomato salad
Chives Vegetables, salads, potatoes, omelette, quark
Mustard Seeds For pickling venison, sour roast (german: Sauerbraten), pickling cucumbers, marinades
Thyme Roast mutton, roast pork, roast lamb, minced meat, pigeons, mushroom dishes, stews, potato casseroles with minced meat and tomatoes
Juniper Sauerkraut, game, roast pork, marinades, soups, sauces
Cinnamon Red cabbage, pear compote, rice pudding, punch, cinnamon stars, apple compote
Spring onions Green salads, lettuce, meat in small amounts

Kommentare 2

  • 🌿 I also love to cook with fresh herbs, especially making salads and pepping up cold dishes.

  • Yea, great article about herbs for cooking... :santa: