Fresh vs. dried herbs

Recently I have been seeing frozen herbs in the stores although I have never tried them. Its easy to do on your own just by putting an herb in an ice cube tray and freezing it.
 
For me, it really depends on the type of cuisine. Indian cooking works very well with dried spices and traditional spice mixes like garam masala. Thai cooking on the other hand works best with fresh ingredients. I can never make a tom yam with dried lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, for example and even when I live in Europe, I always get frozen lemongras and kaffir lime leaves from the Cambodian stores, as these are the next best thing besides actualy using freshly-grown ones.
 
Fresh herbs are 90 percent of the time the best way to go. However The recommendation is that for quick recipes, cooks in less than one hour, use fresh. For those meals that need to marinate and or slow cook dried herbs are recommended.
I suggest laying with your food.
 
N3wgirl said:
OMG! I meant playing with your food. LOL
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you can always edit your own post (though you may not yet have permissions to do so being a newbie here). If not, just use the report button and I can correct it for you! Edit and Report can be found below your post on the left hand side, just after the time you posted it.
 
I prefer fresh herbs as they have a completely different (and nicer) flavor than dried herbs. However, I use dried herbs most of the time for convenience. In UK supermarkets you can often buy potted herbs and I keep meaning to do this. I can just have them lined up on the kitchen windowsill and cut some off when I need to use it. I am going shopping later and while it is in my mind I will try to remember to do this!
 
I can go either way, depends on what I already have on hand and whether or not I'm in the mood to go to the grocery store. If given the option, I do prefer fresh. I have a friend who grows herbs and the smell alone is amazing.
 
For greenfly, couldn't you get a ladybird to eat them instead of having to throw them away? I agree with the hassle of windowsill insects that just mysteriously appear, though. My aloe vera kept getting this white webby cocoons of something, and my tarragon developed tiny brown scales.

Back on topic, the fresh versus dry (versus frozen) depends on the herb. And maybe even depends on the specific dish that you're putting herbs in to.

I'd rather have fresh basil (although, just like SatNavSaysStraightOn I have had so much trouble keeping them alive (when every other guide says that it's a hardy plant that is easy to grow??)

On the other hand, I prefer to dry the Italian oregano that I grow myself. It gets rid of the sting that the leaves have when they're fresh.
 
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