A Guide To the Strength of HerbsCuisine: Herbs/spice Category: Herbs/spice Servings: 1 Ingredients:;TEXT Instructions:Herbs have individual flavours, varying immensely in kind and strength. Some have to be used in large quantities, others in very small ones. It is practically impossible to give exact quantities for the use of herbs. In no other field do tastes differ quite so much. The palate changes when using herbs and, as it becomes more discriminating, wants either more or less of certain herbs. The following table is intended to be a basic guide to avoid errors caused by unknown pungencies and is meant to be a warning and encouragement at the same time. It is often suggested that it is always better to use less rather than more herbs. This is not correct as erring on the other side may not make the best use of the flavouring qualities of a herb. Even more caution is advised when dealing with dried herbs. Though this warning may be justified when using powdered herbs, it is not a precaution to be used with green-dried herbs which reconstitute to the size of freshly chopped herbs, and are similar in strength of aroma to the fresh herb. Therefore, once the nature of a herb has been fully understood the actual quantity has to be determined by its individual strength and one's personal taste, and this has to be discovered by one's own personal experience. This table is merely to guide one's first steps. This same approach should be applied when using herb mixtures, unless one feels one can trust a reliable bouquet of a specialist firm, mixed by an expert. BASIL sparingly BAY LEAVES cautiously, until familiar with the flavour CELERY LEAVES as much as desired to give a celery flavour CHERVIL generously CHIVES according to taste DILL wisely, sometimes generously ELDER FLOWER lavishly FENNEL wisely LEMON BALM lavishly LOVAGE economically until familiar with the flavour MARIGOLD lavishly MARJORAM judiciously at first; it easily overpowers other flavours MINT generously NASTURTIUM LEAVES with caution ONION GREEN according to taste PARSLEY generously ROSEMARY economically SAGE with discretion SALAD BURNET generously SORREL carefully SUMMER SAVOURY carefully until familiar with its strength SWEET CICELY lavishly TARRAGON judiciously - beware of hidden tang THYME with care From "Herbs For Health & Cookery" Claire Loewenfeld & Philipa Back Pan Books, London. (c) Claire Loewenfeld, 1965 typed for you by Greg Mayman, 2001-02-08Click Here To Return To The Recipe List This Page Generated By: |