History of culinary herbs
Herbs are leafy plants that have uses as medicines, perfumes, healthy supplements and many are also used for cooking. Boston-born Elihu Yale was a former clerk of the British East India Company in Madras, India and began his own spice business in 1672. In 1797, Captain Jonathan Carnes began to bring huge quantities of pepper spices to Salem, Massachusetts. Texas settlers developed chili powders in 1835, which provided a simpler way to make spicy Mexican dishes. In 1889 food researchers in Watsonville, California developed techniques for dehydrating both onions and garlic. World War II brought enormous interest in international foods and seasonings as American soldiers returned with a love for European and Asian foods.
Pizza Popularity Propels Shoppers to try more herbs
Pizzas became a very popular food choice, especially in the north. Pizza seasonings were now in great demand by consumers. Italian cooks had used flavorful herbs for years and now others were anxious try these seasonings too. Oregano became known as “the pizza herb” and became the number one ingredient to use for tomato sauces or as a pizza seasoning. Many cookbooks will also give gardeners good suggestions about including various herbs as flavorings for different recipes. There is no substitution for the superb taste that fresh herbs and spices bring to any dish. When chefs are making a gourmet pizza or special sauce, they will use only fresh herbs.
Introducing the Culinary (Cooking) Herbs
Culinary herbs have a wide range of uses in cooking and provide cooks a way to add tasty seasonings. Herbs have a rich intensity that adds character and flavor to any foods. Pizza seasonings for pizzas are one of the favorite uses for both dried and fresh herbs.
Parsley may be the most common herb used in recipes. Sage is also a favorite ingredient for flavoring pork sausage, stews, and sauces. Other popular culinary herbs are chives, thyme, savory, marjoram, mint, rosemary, and basil. These herbs are all delicious when used as flavorful pizza seasonings. You can use these herbs as ingredients in the sauce, crust or as pizza toppings. They will even add great taste when added as fresh garnish. The taste of each different type of herb is very distinctive. Italian dishes are well known for their use of herbs. Chives, mints, and parsley are all quality pizza toppings that add a nice extra flair. You can also use basil, thyme, or oregano to spaghetti sauce, as pizza seasonings or mix them into bread dough.
Herbs for Beginning Gardeners
More common herbs like parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, and sage can be grown almost anywhere. If you are looking for a quick and zesty pizza seasoning idea, simply mix leaves from basil, thyme, and oregano, chop finely and add them to your recipe. You can grow the most common herbs for pizza seasonings in an indoor window box garden or in an outdoor space. For a kitchen window container choose oregano, cilantro, basil, sage, and thyme. While you can easily grow herbs from seeds, starting with small, established plants will jump-start the process. Herbs are low maintenance, and just a few are all you need.
Beginning herb gardeners may have a problem deciding which plants to include in their available planting spaces. A quick check of a supermarket shelf will give you some idea of the types of herbs used in cooking. These herb favorites may serve as an impromptu planting guide.
Recommended herbs for beginners to grow and use as food seasonings
There are a number of easy herbs to grow for cooking use. Mint, cilantro, rosemary, sage, oregano, basil, stevia, chives, and parsley will be more than enough to begin with.
Classifying herbs by taste
Strong herbs are winter savory, rosemary, and sage. These have intense flavors that can be used as single seasoning ingredients. Herbs that are strong enough to use as a single accent but blend well with other flavors are – sweet basil, dill, mint, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme, and oregano. Herbs that benefit from inclusion with other herbs are chives and summer savory.
Using Herbs for Cooking
There are no steadfast rules that must be applied when cooking with herbs. You should always start by experimenting with very small amounts of herbs so that you can find out which flavors you prefer. It is usually best not to mix two very strong herbs together. You can mix a stronger flavored herb with one or more milder flavors for good results. Dried herbs are much stronger than fresh ones, and powdered herbs are stronger than dried leaves. A useful formula to commit to memory is 1/4 teaspoon powdered herbs = 3/4 to 1 teaspoon crumbled = 2 teaspoons fresh herbs.
Cooking tips to use when flavoring foods with herbs
Leaves of herbs should be chopped very fine to release more flavor. Remember that the flavoring of herbs diminish when exposed to long cooking times. To become familiar with an herb’s flavor, mix it with a little butter and leave it for an hour. Spread a bit on a plain cracker and sample the taste. Sprinkle fresh, tender herbs such as fresh basil, marjoram, and oregano on top of other ingredients, so they will not lose their fresh splashes of flavor.
Sage and rosemary can stand the heat of longer cooking times which makes them perfect for meats and breads. Because prosciutto, pepperoni, and other cured meats will dry out in a hot oven, I add them about halfway through the baking of a pizza… usually when the pizza crust is being turned. For delectable Italian-style seafood pizza, use steamed small mussels (about eleven, 2 inches long) and clams (about 1 inch in diameter) in their lower shells. Place these on a pizza crust, brushed with olive oil, and bake. If replacing dried herbs with fresh ones, use triple the amount that is listed.
Herb Storage Tips
Fresh herbs, like cilantro, are perishable and proper storage is necessary. You can store bunches of herbs in a refrigerator with their stems kept in water or keep them in perforated bags. While a little humidity is good for fresh herbs, too much will cause them to spoil. Shake herbs to remove any water, and add a paper towel to the bag to absorb dampness.
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