Use dried herbs early and fresh herbs at the end
Add dried herbs at the beginning where there’s liquid, and finish with fresh herbs for the brightest flavor and garnish.
Dried herbs need time and moisture to rehydrate and release flavor, so add them early in the cooking process. Fresh herbs are pungent and ready to go, so add them at the end and/or use them as a garnish.
The short version
- Start with dried herbs; finish with fresh herbs.
- Dried herbs get more flavorful with time (often even better next day).
- Fresh herbs can double as garnish.
What goes wrong
Adding fresh herbs too early and losing their punch
Add fresh herbs at the end or as garnish.
Adding dried herbs at the very end
Add dried herbs early where liquid is present so they can rehydrate.
Why it works
Early addition gives dried herbs time to reconstitute; late addition preserves the volatile aromatics in fresh herbs.
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