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Fresh Seasonings

* Use fresh herbs and spices instead of using salt to season your meals

* In recipes, cut salt in half and add more fresh herbs and spices

* Experiment with different onion varieties to season soups, main meals soups and sauces, Do not forget other members of the onion family such as green onions, shallots, and leeks

* When doubling a recipe, herbs and spices should only be increased by one and half times. Taste, and then add some more if necessary.

* Add sage, bay leaf and garlic at the beginning of the cooking process as they have a strong flavor. Herbs with a more subtle aroma such as basil, parsley, fennel are best when added at the end of the cooking process to preserve their flavor

* Here is a chart to convert dried herbs to fresh

5 ml (1 tsp) dried herbs = 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh herbs
0.5 ml(1/8 tsp) garlic powder = 1 medium clove of garlic
5 ml (1 tsp) onion powder = 1 medium onion, finely chopped
1ml (1/4 tsp) ground ginger = 5 ml (1tsp) grated fresh ginger

Herbal Hints

* Delicate aromas can be lost due to over cooking.

*Cut or chop fresh herbs to expose more surface area this will release more flavor.

*Fresh herbs freeze easily. Wash, pat dry, and freeze in an air tight container. Do not thaw before adding to dishes as frozen herbs darken and become limp when thawed; so add the fresh frozen herb to the dish in the cooking process.

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