How to use herbs

Fresh herbs have the ability to elevate a dish to the next level, livening it up with a hit of freshness before serving, or adding a delicious depth of flavour throughout cooking.

Herbs are so easy to grow; whether you live in the city or the country, the sixteenth floor or in a basement flat, it doesn’t matter! Just stick them in your garden, window-box, terracotta pot – even a bucket – and you’ll have a never-ending supply of your favourite flavour-boosts.

Herbs can be classed as being either woody herbs, like rosemary and thyme, and soft herbs, like basil, coriander and parsley. Woody herbs are tougher and are generally too powerful to be eaten raw. Instead, they’re usually cooked alongside whatever they’re intended to flavour and are often removed before serving. Soft herbs aren’t quite as strong as woody ones – they can be eaten raw in salads, or scattered over and stirred into cooked food. There are so many exciting and interesting herbs out there, so we’ve picked the most commonly used ones to guide you through.

HOW TO STORE YOUR HERBS

Although they’re best when fresh, you will definitely find yourself needing to store your lovely herbs at some point. There are a number of ways to do this:

Dry woody herbs at home by bunching them up. Do this by making bunches about the diameter of an OK-sign made with your thumb and forefinger. Bind with a tight roll of string, and hang them upside down in a warm, dry place. Once they’re dry, make sure not to bash around too much, as the leaves will fall off easily.

Soft herbs are best stored in the freezer. Pick the leaves, rinse, and chop finely before drying on a tea towel and storing in freezer bags. Press out as much air as you can before laying them on top of one another in the freezer (make sure you label each bag). They will last a few months and can be used straight from frozen.

You can also combine your herbs into lovely flavoured oils and salts, which make for store-cupboard secret weapons or lovely homemade gifts. To make oils, simply push a few stems into a bottleful of quality extra virgin olive oil. For salts, spread your herbs in a single layer over a baking tray and dehydrate in a very low oven – keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t lose their colour – then cool and crush into salt grains.

Pick your herbs for storing when the leaves look their best and freshest – at that point the sun will have penetrated them well, and they will release all their oils when used.

For more guidance on fresh herbs, watch this masterclass from the lovely Georgina Hayden from Jamie’s food team.