How to chop herbs without bruising them (let the knife do the work)
Use a sharp knife and minimal passes—chop cleanly instead of hacking—so herb juices stay in the leaves, not on the board.
Bunch herbs together and make decisive cuts rather than repeatedly mincing and smashing. If you see a big green patch left on the board after removing the herbs, you’ve bruised them.
The short version
- Sharp knife + fewer cuts = less bruising
- A green smear on the board is a sign you crushed the herbs
What you need
- chef's knifeSharpness is emphasized
- cutting board
What goes wrong
Hacking herbs repeatedly to make them finer
Make clean chops and stop; you can always chop a bit more if needed.
Why it works
Excessive chopping crushes herb cells, releasing chlorophyll and oils onto the board and dulling flavor in the finished herb.
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