When you have been to the garden center or even your local grocery store you see herbs and more herbs everywhere. When you examine them they all smell so good and are beautiful. You know that they are used for seasoning in recipes but you have no idea which to use in what. There are so many different herbs out there that it's easy to get confused. So here's your list of the main 17 herbs that you can use for cooking.
Basil
Basil is a bushy annual that is from the mint family. It is cherished for its rich, fragrant leaves that exude the aroma of Italy in pesto and tomato sauces. Use its broad shiny green or purple leaves to flavor vegetables, soups, and chicken, fish and egg dishes. The most common variety is the Sweet Basil, which blends well with other herbs.
Cilantro
Cilantro is also known as Chinese parsley or fresh coriander. Its leaves have a slightly tart flavor. Use the leaves in Mexican, Chinese, Indian and Moroccan dishes, close to the end of the cooking time because the heat destroys its flavor. Coriander seeds and fresh leaves are not interchangeable.
Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is a perennial from the mint family. Its dark green wrinkled leaves are notched along the edges in scallops making it an interesting garnish. Use the leaves with their minty scent and lemony flavor to enhance meats, fish, soups, stews, and salads and drop one into your glass of tea.
Chervil
You can use the fern-like, lacy leaves and stems of this annual herb for its delicate anise, almost peppery flavor and aroma. Add it to cooked dishes at the last minute because heat will destroy its flavor. Enjoy it in egg dishes, Bearnaise sauces, salads and salad dressings. Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from the bark of a cinnamon tree, which comes in stick or ground form. Mulled drinks are flavored with cinnamon sticks. Ground cinnamon is used most commonly in baked items and desserts. It has a sweet aromatic character and can be used for meats, vegetables and fruits.
Marjoram
You can use the small leaves and flower buds of this fragrantly spiced blending herb with poultry, lamb, herb butter vegetables or tea. Chives
The dark green tubular leaves of chives go well with egg and potato dishes. Chives are the mildest members of the onion family. It is best used fresh.
Dill
This annual member of the parsley family has thin-feathered leaves with a tart, lemony flavor. Use the leaves, called dill weed, with fish, vegetables and in bread. Dill is also used when canning cucumbers to turn them into dill pickles.
Mint
The most popular is the strong flavored peppermint, which is good in cooked dishes such as jellies or sauces. The milder and sweeter spearmints are popular in salads and refreshing mint juleps.
Oregano
Oregano is similar in flavor to marjoram, only stronger. Its leaves are used in tomato dishes, meat loaves or with vegetables for their strong aromatic flavor with a pleasant bitter undertone.
Sage
This perennial herb, which has a rich, dominant flavor makes a delicious poultry seasoning. Use the velvety, grayish green leaves in recipes or as a garnish.
Thyme
Use the small oval leaves of the thin twig-like stems of this bushy low-growing perennial. The slightly pungent, spicy flavor goes well with fish, meat, poultry and especially Creole recipes. Parsley
Parsley is a universal herb, which comes curly leafed with its fresh green taste, or flat leafed (Italian), with its astringently sweet flavor. Use its leaves and stems as a rich source of Vitamin A. Vitamin C, iron and potassium. It is a compatible herb that will enhance or lend subtly to other herbs. Fresh parsley will often revive the flavor of dried herbs.Summer Savory
Summer Savory has a warm aromatic, peppery flavor, which has made it a favorite blending herb. Use the thin green leaves of this annual herb. Savory, because of its affinity with beans, is often called the bean herb, but is also good with other vegetables and meats.
Watercress
This perennial member of the mustard family grows near gently flowing water. Use the peppery tasting stems and leaves in salads as a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin c, and potassium.
Rosemary
Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean; this evergreen shrub has narrow, needle-like leaves prized for their pungent, heavy pine-like fragrance and flavor. It is traditionally used with lamb, but also enhances other meats, stews and breads.
You will find a lot of Rosemary plants on sale during the Christmas season.
Tarragon
The hint of anise, mint and pepper allows thin dominant herb to enhance a great variety of foods. The bushy, narrow leafed perennial, French Tarragon, is used to flavor vinegar, mustard, and sauces.
The difference of an annual to a perennial is that an annual plant will die come the first freeze and will not come back; a perennial plant will die back in the winter but come back in the spring. So annuals, you have to replant every spring and perennials plant once and you are done!
