Spice up things in the kitchen

by

With summer on the horizon, everyone is looking for fresh new flavors to spice up their outdoor barbecues and family picnics — which is why it comes as no surprise the first week of May is deemed “National Herb Week” by the International Herb Association.

Herbs, by definition, are plants that may be useful, either as a food or as a medicinal agent with a therapeutic effect. The well-recognized aromas associated with different herbs come from their natural oils, which not only bring exciting flavor to dishes, but also the smells can have mentally uplifting effects. Whether fresh, frozen or dried, herbs add a creative spin to some favorite summer staples while providing additional health benefits.

Get in the garden

While many herbs can be found either in fresh or dried variety at your local grocery store, growing them yourself can be even more convenient, cost-effective and gratifying. Starting your own herb garden can be as simple as placing soil in a pot with a few seeds and leaving it in a sunny spot, such as a windowsill, porch or lanai. In fact, most herbs are considered low-maintenance — meaning they do best when left alone.

Try getting started with herbs that grow well in hot, humid weather, such as:

  • Dill
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Basil
  • Oregano

Harvesting herbs

Although most herbs can be grown during all seasons in Florida, they tend to deliver less intense tastes and smells in colder months. Summer is when herbs’ aromatic oils are at their maximum. 

When it comes to harvesting, early morning is best. Pick your herbs on a dry day, just before the sun warms up and dehydrates the fragile leaves or stems. Cut herbs with scissors or a sharp kitchen knife, ideally, just before the plant flowers to assure the flavor is concentrated to the leaves. 

Herbs in the kitchen

When it comes to cooking with fresh and dried herbs, there are important differences to note. While both fresh and dried herbs provide the greatest flavor when added toward the end of cooking, the amount of dried to fresh herbs needed in recipes is cut in half due to the concentrated effect of the aromatic oils found in dried herbs. 

The most important thing when cooking with herbs is to get creative. Add basil atop your favorite pasta recipe, roast a summer vegetable blend with a few stems of rosemary, or bake salmon wrapped in fresh dill with lemon butter inside tin foil.

Preservation

  • Drying: Take 5-10 stems and remove the bottom leaves. Tie the stems together near the end and hang-dry upside down in a dry, temperature-controlled, ventilated, dark space. Herbs will take about one week to become brittle and can be stored in sealed containers. 
  • Freezing: Either take individual leaves and freeze on a flat surface to later place in a freezer-safe bag or place many leaves into a freezer-safe bag all together. Freezing separately will allow you to individually use leaves as needed, whereas freezing altogether will give you a clump of herbs that can easily be added to sauces or soups. 
  • Add oil: Blend herbs together with oil to create a paste-like consistency. This will increase the shelf-life of the herbs in your refrigerator, or they can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag, container or ice cube trays.

RECIPE: Show off your herbs with Pistachio Pesto

Noel Konken, a registered dietitian, is a clinical pediatric dietitian at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.