How to freshen your cooking

How to freshen your cooking
Replacing the dried herbs called for in a recipe with fresh leaves of the same herbs will usually improve the flavor of your dish, but you will need to use larger quantity of fresh herbs.

The usual ratio of fresh herbs to dried ones is three to one; which means, for example, that one tablespoon of chopped fresh herb is approximately the same strength as one tablespoon of the same herb in dried form.

But there are exceptions to this rule of thumb: for example a mere half teaspoon of dried basil is equivalent to one tablespoon of fresh, while one and one half teaspoon of dried dill are needed to match a tablespoon of the fresh leaves in flavoring power.

Thus, to freshen a recipe calling for a teaspoon of dried basil, use two tablespoons of the fresh herb; and of a recipe is content with a teaspoon of dried dill, then only two tablespoons of fresh dill will substitute for it.

As much as possible, alter the recipe to add fresh herbs near the end of the cooking process, which helps them conserve their essential oils. Dried herbs, on the other hand, need to go into a dish early enough to soak up its liquid and rehydrate.

In the case of bay leaves, there is really nothing to be gained in replacing a dried bay leaf with afresh one, since these leaves retain their flavor very well when dried and in fact, leaves that have dried just to the point of being brittle are actually preferred.

And fresh mint should not be substitutes for dried mint, as the two have rather different flavors.

Similarly, fresh and dried ginger are like two separate seasonings and neither can be used in place of the other.

Using whole species instead of commercially ground powders also has an amazing freshening effect. Measure out the same amounts of freshly ground spices as called for in the recipe.
How to freshen your cooking