Harvesting herbs
 

When I want to use some oregano, parsley, cilantro, etc., do I pick
off individual leaves, or snip off an entire "branch" ?

In article ,
" wrote:

When I want to use some oregano, parsley, cilantro, etc., do I pick
off individual leaves, or snip off an entire "branch" ?

Depends on how you want to use it... :-)

For some, slow cooked recipes, I tend to get lazy.
I'll snip a small branch (6" or so) and just lay the herbs on top of the
roast or pot roast recipe in the pan, then remove it after the meal is
cooked. The herb flavor cooks into the recipe and it's quick and easy.

If I want to use the fresh herbs in sauces or on fried chicken etc.,
I'll pick off the individual leaves after rinsing the herbs off, then
mince them fine with my chinese knife.

Sometimes for sauces, I cheat! I'll put the whole leaves into the food
processer with some canned or fresh peeled tomatoes and let it whirl for
a bit until the leaves are chopped fairly fine.

Have fun!!!!! :-)

--
K.

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On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 20:05:38 -0500, Katra
wrote:

In article ,
" wrote:

When I want to use some oregano, parsley, cilantro, etc., do I pick
off individual leaves, or snip off an entire "branch" ?

Depends on how you want to use it... :-)

For some, slow cooked recipes, I tend to get lazy.
I'll snip a small branch (6" or so) and just lay the herbs on top of the
roast or pot roast recipe in the pan, then remove it after the meal is
cooked. The herb flavor cooks into the recipe and it's quick and easy.

If I want to use the fresh herbs in sauces or on fried chicken etc.,
I'll pick off the individual leaves after rinsing the herbs off, then
mince them fine with my chinese knife.

Sometimes for sauces, I cheat! I'll put the whole leaves into the food
processer with some canned or fresh peeled tomatoes and let it whirl for
a bit until the leaves are chopped fairly fine.

Have fun!!!!! :-)

I'm curious - you leave the de-leafed branch on the plant? Does it
then leaf out again? I always snip the branch, and then remove the
leaves at a later point, usually while other things are cooking.

I also like to remove branches rather than leaves because some herbs
need to be pruned back a bit to keep them from getting scrawny or from
going to seed to quickly.

In article ,
Jacqueline Cahoon wrote:

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 20:05:38 -0500, Katra
wrote:

In article ,
" wrote:

When I want to use some oregano, parsley, cilantro, etc., do I pick
off individual leaves, or snip off an entire "branch" ?

Depends on how you want to use it... :-)

For some, slow cooked recipes, I tend to get lazy.
I'll snip a small branch (6" or so) and just lay the herbs on top of the
roast or pot roast recipe in the pan, then remove it after the meal is
cooked. The herb flavor cooks into the recipe and it's quick and easy.

If I want to use the fresh herbs in sauces or on fried chicken etc.,
I'll pick off the individual leaves after rinsing the herbs off, then
mince them fine with my chinese knife.

Sometimes for sauces, I cheat! I'll put the whole leaves into the food
processer with some canned or fresh peeled tomatoes and let it whirl for
a bit until the leaves are chopped fairly fine.

Have fun!!!!! :-)

I'm curious - you leave the de-leafed branch on the plant? Does it
then leaf out again? I always snip the branch, and then remove the
leaves at a later point, usually while other things are cooking.

No, I don't leave the stripped branch on the plant. :-)
I snip off the branch I want to use into a collander and rinse it well
before de-leafing.

I'm told to keep the rosemary twigs by one of the chef's a work, then
use them for kebab skewers as that will impart a rosemary flavor to the
kebab items. I've not tried it yet, but my rosemary is getting large
enough and mature enough to try that soom.


I also like to remove branches rather than leaves because some herbs
need to be pruned back a bit to keep them from getting scrawny or from
going to seed to quickly.

lol Or taking over their area of the herb garden......

Kat
--
K.

Sprout the MungBean to reply

"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell--you
see, I have friends in both places." --Mark Twain

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 19:50:57 -0500, Katra
wrote:

-snipped-

No, I don't leave the stripped branch on the plant. :-)
I snip off the branch I want to use into a collander and rinse it well
before de-leafing.

I'm told to keep the rosemary twigs by one of the chef's a work, then
use them for kebab skewers as that will impart a rosemary flavor to the
kebab items. I've not tried it yet, but my rosemary is getting large
enough and mature enough to try that soom.


I also like to remove branches rather than leaves because some herbs
need to be pruned back a bit to keep them from getting scrawny or from
going to seed to quickly.

lol Or taking over their area of the herb garden......

Kat

Ah, the light bulb coms on! I misunderstood at what point you removed
the leaves. Silly me - I had visions of you standing in the garden,
carefully removing one leaf at a time! I didn't want to say anything,
but I thought "Wow, Kat has *way* too much time on her hands" :-)

In article ,
Jacqueline Cahoon wrote:

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 19:50:57 -0500, Katra
wrote:

-snipped-

No, I don't leave the stripped branch on the plant. :-)
I snip off the branch I want to use into a collander and rinse it well
before de-leafing.

I'm told to keep the rosemary twigs by one of the chef's a work, then
use them for kebab skewers as that will impart a rosemary flavor to the
kebab items. I've not tried it yet, but my rosemary is getting large
enough and mature enough to try that soom.


I also like to remove branches rather than leaves because some herbs
need to be pruned back a bit to keep them from getting scrawny or from
going to seed to quickly.

lol Or taking over their area of the herb garden......

Kat

Ah, the light bulb coms on! I misunderstood at what point you removed
the leaves. Silly me - I had visions of you standing in the garden,
carefully removing one leaf at a time! I didn't want to say anything,
but I thought "Wow, Kat has *way* too much time on her hands" :-)


grins I'll only do that sometimes with basil......
but those are larger leaves!
--
K.

Sprout the MungBean to reply

"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell--you
see, I have friends in both places." --Mark Twain