Fresh Kitchen Herbs - 6 Absolutely Essential Culinary Herbs
Do you like when food has a lovely aroma? The secret lies mostly in the seasoning. Chefs from the most prestigious restaurants know well about the importance of fresh herbs. It does not mean, however, that only they can use culinary herbs. Just like them, you can also prepare dishes of a wonderful taste. Very often, it is a matter of just one ingredient. Check what potted herbs you should have in your house and how to use them.
The most common culinary herbs - parsley and basil
Parsley is an herb of a very unusual taste. It is used in many recipes across different types of cuisine. It is highly appreciated in modern recipes as well. It can be an ingredient for salads, and when combined with nuts and oranges it creates perfect mix for smoothies.
Potted herbs like parsley can be purchased practically in every supermarket. But you can also try to grow it at home. It’s a definitely better option, especially if you use a lot of it when cooking. The only thing to remember when growing this type of indoor herbs is access to sunlight. It is recommended to place potted herbs on a windowsill.
You can use parsley in soups and already mentioned salads and smoothies. That is not all! Parsley pesto or a bread with parsley butter are gaining popularity - and you can make them yourself.
When talking about the most popular culinary herbs grown in the kitchen, one cannot forget about basil. Without it, no true Italian dish can be made. Similar to parsley, basil perfectly complements many dishes, hence it’s often used when cooking. It tastes great with tomato sauces and fresh tomatos. It’s equally good with meat and pasta. What’s more, it can be made into a delicious pesto as well.
Thanks to the popularity of kitchen herbs like basil, it can be bought in most grocery stores and supermarkets.
If you’re buying potted herbs in a supermarket, pay attention to its quality. Sometimes a plant has white marks on the leaves, which is a signal of disease. Such kitchen herbs won’t last too long.
Mint and rosemary - potted herbs of many uses
Do you want kitchen herbs but prefer ones with more uses? It’s a very practical attitude. In this case, you can use mint and rosemary. You can use these types of potted herbs to create both dishes and beverages.
Mint is perfect for cooking. You can use it for meats and desserts. It’s also great when combined with ice cream. Using it as a base, you can make a sauce for grilled chicken or turkey. That’s not all! Indoor herbs like mint are perfect for beverages and drinks. White wine with a few mint leaves tastes amazing as well.
Apart from the classic peppermint, known basically to everyone, there are other types of mint on the market. You can buy chocolate, strawberry or lemon mint. It all depends on what taste and aroma you expect. Such indoor herbs are a real curiosity at home.
Rosemary is a little bit less popular potted herb, but it is equally versatile in its uses. You can use it for:
- sauces used for venery,
- meat marinades,
- stews and roasted meats seasoning.
Potted herbs such as rosemary have a characteristic scent, so it’s not to everyone’s taste. For those who like it, it can be used in beverages and sweet snacks.
Rosemary is perfect for adding flavour to water or lemonade. One can also find rosemary flavoured ice cream - especially in citrus sorbets.
Universal potted herbs in the kitchen - chives and oregano
Regarding kitchen herbs - chives gained its fame thanks to scrambled eggs. It’s hard to imagine the morning meal without at least a gram of this greenery. As it turns out, it can also be used in other situations.
Kitchen herbs like chives are perfect for sandwiches and spring salads. Chives tastes fantastic with cottage cheese and radish. You can use it basically for any of your favourite vegetables.
Kitchen herbs like chives do not only taste good but are also a great decorative element. If you want to have a two-for-one effect - you can use it in your kitchen.
Kitchen herbs like oregano have also been popular recently. Similar to the already mentioned basil, oregano perfectly matches Italian cuisine. It does not mean, however, that you cannot add it to other dishes as well. It perfectly complements various types of salads. You can also make an oregano-based butter for bread.
What should you remember when choosing fresh kitchen herbs?
The proper conditions are the baseline for potted herbs cultivation. Each of the mentioned plants requires a lot of sun. For this reason, potted plants grow best on windowsills.
Do not forget that because one cooks a lot in the kitchen, the plants’ soil might dry faster. For this reason, you should check the potted herbs regularly whether they are not too dry - and water them more often.
đź“Ť How to keep fresh herbs in the fridge?
If you want to keep fresh herbs in the fridge, use the special drawer which preserves the freshness of vegetables and herbs for longer. If there is no such a compartment in your model, you can try something different. Just put the cut herbs in a plastic bag, tie it and put in the fridge.
đź“Ť How to freeze fresh herbs?
If you want to freeze fresh herbs, cut them first. You can then freeze them whole or chop them. Use special plastic frost-resistant containers for freezing herbs. You can also use special bags.
đź“Ť Where can I buy fresh herbs?
You can buy fresh potted herbs in every supermarket. They are also available at local markets. If you cannot find any in your area, consider seeding them yourself. This way you can have fresh kitchen plants without buying them.
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