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]]>Superior Flavor
Indulge in the unmatched, zesty taste of homegrown basil plucked straight from your garden (or planter). Nurturing your own basil unlocks access to premium leaves filled with essential oils and flavor compounds, enriching your pasta, salads, and even cocktails!
Endless Variety
From traditional Genovese basil to exotic Thai and lemon basil variations, the basil world offers an extensive array of flavors and aromas waiting to be discovered. Experiment with different cultivars to uncover your favorites and add them to your culinary creations.
Cost-Effective and Convenient
Bid farewell to expensive store-bought basil and say hi to the budget-friendly convenience of homegrown herbs. With minimal space and effort required, growing basil at home becomes a practical solution, ensuring a constant supply of fresh ingredients at your fingertips.
Sustainable and Rewarding
Last but not least, cultivating your own basil organically at home helps you embrace sustainability. Just imagine it: All the calm of tending to your garden, added to the satisfaction of homegrown ingredients in your dishes—not many things compare.
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]]>In general, an herb’s flavor gets more potent as it dries. As such, you’ll want to use less when using dried herbs than fresh ones: usually one teaspoon dried to one tablespoon of fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are particularly good as a garnish on top of a dish while dried herbs are more often used during the cooking process. However, you can use either in either case. A sprig of fresh herbs is also easier to remove later than chopped-up dried herbs if you want a smooth or unified consistency.
Different types of herbs may be better dried and others better fresh. Herbs like rosemary and bay leaves, where the potent flavor is best infused into the dish are better added dried during cooking. Bay leaves are often dried whole, so they can still be removed later.
Urban Homesteader (@bigfamilyliving)Other herbs are more commonly used to add freshness along with flavors such as mint, basil, or cilantro. These herbs are best used fresh and added on top of a dish or in the last steps of cooking it. The sprigs can then be removed after stewing for a minute or two and your dish will have an element of freshness that can’t be found from dried herbs.
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]]>Grind Your Own Spices
Most food items lose their quality when they are exposed to oxygen. The same happens with spices. As soon as they are grounded, their flavor starts deteriorating. This is why it is best to buy spices whole and ground them yourself. This will not only help you get more flavors out of your spices, but it will extend their shelf life as whole spices last longer than pre-ground variety.
Herbs Need Time to Act
Herbs need more time to release their flavor, which is why you should always put them at the start of the cooking process. However, if you only remember to add herbs when your food is almost cooked, there are ways to still get the most out of them. You can crush the herbs or rub them between your fingers, which will help them release flavor more quickly before adding them to the dish. Another efficient way to achieve this is to soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes.
Revive the Flavor of Spices by Toasting Them
Spices can easily lose some of their flavors by sitting in your pantry for a long time. But that isn’t the reason to throw them away. If you want to revive the flavor of the spices, just toast them in a pan for a few minutes. The heat will intensify the flavor, and they’ll be ready to get back to work on making your food better.
Store the Spices Properly
To help your herbs and spices to retain their flavor, you should store them properly. The best way to do it is to pack them in an airtight container and store them somewhere dark and cold. This method will also extend their shelf life significantly.
Fresh and Dried Herbs
If your recipe asks for fresh herbs and you only have dried ones or vice versa, don’t worry. The fresh and dried herbs are interchangeable by using a simple formula. Just multiply the number of dried herbs required by three, and you achieve the same effect. For the fresh herbs, just add a third of the number of dried herbs.
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