Drying herbs

[helagumamela]

When I buy herbs from grocery stores, they are often dried especially the laurel leaves and oregano. However, there is a certain taste that I notice in dried herbs that I dislike sometimes. My question is this: Is drying herbs really necessary? Can't the be used fresh? Thank you!

 

[ACSAPA]

No offense, but what an odd question. Have you seriously never seen a chef on TV use fresh herbs? Have you never read a recipe that gives you the option to use fresh or dried herbs? Have you never browsed Amazon and seen a fresh herb keeper to keep your fresh herbs from spoiling until you can use them in dishes?
I'm not trying to be rude ,I just wonder how anyone can make it to adulthood without seeing at least one reference to using fresh herbs, whether in a magazine or on the cooking channel. Sometimes the dishes that you eat in restaurants are garnished with fresh herbs on the plate.

Not only is using fresh herbs well-known and normal, it is considered the ideal way to use herbs. Buying dried herbs is the second best route to go when you just can't get them fresh.

 

[Rosyrain]

You have been missing out if you have never used fresh herbs before. They make a dish taste so much better than dried ones do. With fresh herbs though, you have to use less because they are more potent. Go to the store, get yourself some fresh herbs, and add them to a dish today!

 

[gata montes]

I would agree with Rosyrain - as you haven't yet tried fresh herbs - I would get hold of some as quick as you can - especially as I'm sure that you'll be so amazed at how different and how much better they taste - that you'll never want to add those store dried herbs to your cooking ever again.

However - although my preference is always to use fresh herbs - I do dry and freeze many of my summer herbs too - but I only do that to make sure that I have a good supply for over the winter months - so that I won't have to buy any from the store - as store bought herbs don't even resemble the flavor of home grown herbs

I would also just add - that as most herbs are extremely easy to grow and many even grow well on the kitchen windowsill - there really is no reason to suffer the unpleasant taste of store bought dried herbs

 

[Trellum]

Over here you can get them fresh, I often dry mine just to preserve them, specially when I have already used some fresh ones for what I wanted to do. Just dry them so they don't go to waste.