How do you convert measurements between fresh herbs vs. dried herbs?

Answer 1

A good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of the dried herb to 1 tablespoon of the fresh.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

For most chefs and cooks the one ingredient that will distinguish a good dish from a great one is using fresh herbs. Certainly the best and least expensive way is to plant herbs for your own use. Most groceries have a fair choice of fresh herbs and specialty stores will carry even more.

The rule of thumb when you have no choice but to use dried herbs is: use one teaspoon of dried for each 3 teaspoons of fresh. In the off season when using dried herbs is impossible to avoid, it can help to mince about one teaspoon into a tablespoon of fresh curly parsley. This can simulate the freshness of some herbs.

Answer 3

There can be a number of reasons. Generally there will be a clue in the recipe. Dried herbs are much stronger flavored than fresh. Sometimes that's a specific factor in the cook's mind when developing the recipe. Also, dried herbs tend to be better suited to longer cooking times, so a pot roast will typically call for dried herbs. Fresh herbs should usually be added only at the very end of cooking due to their delicate nature. Of course, there are exceptions. Woody herbs, like rosemary, are pretty sturdy, even when fresh. Many "old" dishes (recipes that have been around forever) will call for dried or fresh herbs depending on the seasonality of the dish. That is to say, dishes that were traditionally "wintery" will tend to call for dried herbs (preserved, available outside of the growing season). Meanwhile, dishes that were traditionally only available in the spring or summer, will tend to call for fresh herbs. Dried or fresh -- one is not always better than another. It's a matter of what the herb is intended to accomplish in the dish, your personal taste, etc. I generally use dried versions of herbs that are potent (oregano, etc.) and fresh herbs that are milder, or whose texture is specific to a recipe (parsley, for example.) I think for the most part you can substitute dried herbs in a pinch, but I generally use fresh if it's available. As for depending on the recipe an example is when I make a garlic cheese sauce for pasta that's heavy, and fresh basil would really wilt or get lost in it - dried in this case retains a heavy flavor without distracting from the creaminess of the sauce.

Answer 4

HI Paul

The ratio is for every one measure of dried herbs use 3 measures of fresh.

One of the problems with dried herbs though is that they are often stored for years in the kitchen and by the time one gets around to using them they have lost all their flavour, so check before you use them that what you are going to put in actually smells and tastes of something

Answer 5

Being a 3rd generation southern cook - yes, I still fix plenty of my mamaw's recipes, we don't really measure a lot of things unless we are baking. For dried herbs ( which I try to stay away from) I use a good sprinkle. For fresh herbs - I grow basil, chives, oregano, sage and catnip for the kitties, I use a handful freshly chopped........

Answer 6

If the dried are fairly fresh then 1 tsp dried = 1 tbsp fresh

But as dried herbs get older they lose their strength and you should add more.