How to store fresh thyme

Normally the fresh thyme can be stored in refrigerator for a few days (one or two weeks) if it is warped in a damp paper towel and place it in a plastic bag. For long term storage the fresh thyme should be washed, trimmed/ chopped and dried properly before placing it in heavy freezer bags and freeze it.

To maximize the shelf life of fresh thyme in the refrigerator, wrap the thyme in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. How long does fresh thyme last in the fridge? Properly stored, fresh thyme will usually keep well for about 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator.

Freeze Your Freshly Cut Thyme.

Take fresh thyme leaves (no need to chop) and place them in ice cube trays. Cover them with water and freeze. If you’re looking to use whole thyme leaves, just freeze entire stems of thyme in freezer bags. Once frozen, the whole leaves will easily come off the stem.

3 Ways to Dry Thyme

Hang the small bunches on a nail or hook in a warm, dark place with good airflow and low humidity. After 1 to 2 weeks, once the leaves have completely dried, remove the leaves by running fingers down the stem, and store the thyme in a mason jar or other airtight container.

Thyme goes well with lamb, beef and poultry, so add the fresh leaves to roast meats, as well as soups and stews. In many US plant zones, thyme will be green all winter, so use the leaves to add fresh flavor to those bubbling winter one-pot meals. Fresh thyme also goes well with fresh tomatoes.

Tips. Fresh herbs can be as much as 80 percent water. When dried, they lose all of that water and become more potent than their fresh versions. The one exception to this rule is a bay leaf, which loses a lot of its flavor when dried.

A general rule of thumb to convert fresh herbs to dry: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe.

Dried thyme retains much of the flavor of fresh thyme and is a suitable substitution for fresh in many cases. When substituting dried thyme for fresh, however, use roughly one-third of the volume of fresh thyme called for in the recipe as the flavor of dried thyme is much stronger than fresh.

Dried thyme is whole dried thyme leaves. Dried thyme is most often added to soups, stews, oils and vinegars. There are over a hundred varieties of thyme, including ones with the scent or flavor of lemon, orange, caraway or mint. Drying is an easy way to preserve thyme.

Thyme: Fresh thyme will last about 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator, while ground and dried thyme will last about three to four years.

Thyme is a good substitution for rosemary, especially when used along with other spices. However, when substituting rosemary for thyme, it’s important to use slightly less amount than what the recipe calls for. This is because rosemary has a stronger flavour than thyme.

As a general rule, 1 teaspoon of dried herb is equal to 1/2 teaspoon of ground, according to The Reluctant Gourmet. So, do a bit of simple math: Since 1 teaspoon of dried herb equals 1/2 teaspoon of ground, replace the tablespoon of fresh thyme (from the previous example) with 1/2 teaspoon of ground.

Substituting Fresh and Dried Herbs

My general rule of thumb is to use 1 1/2 times the amount of fresh as I would dry. Meaning that if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, I’d start with 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh thyme. Remember, you can always add more, but you can‘t take it away once it’s in there!

Thyme is taken by mouth for bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat, colic, arthritis, upset stomach, stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bedwetting, a movement disorder in children (dyspraxia), intestinal gas (flatulence), parasitic worm infections, and skin disorders.

I’ve collected fresh oregano many times. One harvests it from low shrubs when the little leaves have dried. You cut the small branches off and then rub them with your hands over wax paper to remove the leaves. Ground oregano is simply placing these small leaves into a grinder to make them uniform in size.

Mostly, but not entirely. It’s not often that I’d choose a dried herb over fresh. The flavor difference between fresh and dried thyme is huge, with fresh thyme being softer and more complex; dried can be bitter. But dried oregano adds a flavor that both compliments and complements, without dominating other ingredients.

That means the correct ratio is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs. For example, if a recipe calls for one tablespoon of fresh oregano, you need only one teaspoon of dried oregano. The same goes for basil, dill, parsley, and any other herb that you fancy.

Used primarily in Greek, Italian, Spanish, Mexican and Tex-mex cuisine, oregano lends a peppery, herbal bite to foods. When fresh, it’s used as a finishing spice, whereas dried it’s used at the beginning of cooking to build layers of flavor. Ground oregano has its use in spice bases and rubs.

Fresh oregano is a great antibacterial agent. It has phytonutrients (thymol and carvacrol), which fight infections such as staph. It’s loaded with antioxidants that help prevent cell damage, and it’s an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, manganese, iron, vitamin E, tryptophan and calcium. You go, oregano!