Five ways to use herbs
If you have an herb garden, chances are you probably already know the traditional uses for herbs.Seasoning your meals is a wonderful way to make good use of your herbs, but they also have a lot of other uses besides seasoning. Here are 5 unique ways you can make the most out of your herb garden.
Dress up your water
Everyone should be drinking more water, but if you're like most people water is probably not your favorite beverage. You can make it more interesting by adding herbs to your water. Although it might seem unusual to put a sprig of sage in your water, the changing taste can bring a welcome new flavor to bland water.
To get a powerful flavor, crush the herbs at the bottom of the pitcher with a muddler, and then pour cold water and ice over the top. This will release the flavor into the water.
Infuse your oil
You can make delicious oils for salad dressings or other uses by infusing your cooking oil with herbs.To do this simply place your oil in an air tight container, such as a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, along with your herbs. Close the lid and shake vigorously, than leave it on your counter, shaking every day for 2-3 weeks. After this you can strain the herbs out, but the flavor will remain in the oil.
If you're in a hurry, you can also cook the oil at the lowest possible heat on your burner, inside of a double boiler, for 3-5 hours. This will also infuse the oil, and you'll get the oil in a few hours instead of a few weeks.
Freshen your breath
It's not just mint that's good for freshening breath, parsley also has compounds that get rid of odor causing bacteria. That's good to remember when you're at a dinner with your special someone and need a quick refresher for your breath. That parsley on your plate isn't just for looks!
Brighten your salad
It's not just salad dressing that can lend flavor to your salad. Try swapping out some of your lettuce for basil leaves, and enjoy the new flavors that come from these changes. You can also replace lettuce in other foods you would normally use it on. Try it in your burgers or in a wrap.
Scent your home
Fresh herbs smell wonderful. Whether they are in your cooking or in a garden, most herbs give off a pleasant scent. You can bring this into your home as well, by hanging bouquets of herbs around your house. The herbs can dry and become useful seasoning stored for later, and on top of this your home will smell fresh and wonderful during the process.
Herbs have hundreds of different uses. They are delicious on and in our food,and are a fresh and wonderful way to change up our dinner menu. They also have a lot of nutritional properties. Although we usually don't use a lot in our meals, by learning how to include them in our every day lives, we can make every part of our life more enjoyable
Read more on how to use herbs below: