Hy-Vee Recipes and Ideas

If a recipe calls for fresh, dried, or ground herbs, you can use them interchangeably. Just remember the conversion is 3 teaspoons of fresh equals 1 teaspoon of dried, and 1 teaspoon of dried equals 1/3 teaspoon of ground. So if your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried basil, you can use 3 teaspoons of fresh basil. But keep in mind that fresh herbs are best if added toward the end of the cooking process. Ok, that's enough math for now. Let's move on.

Fresh cut herbs should be wrapped in a paper towel and then stored in a resealable plastic bag or container with a top fitting lid. Dried herbs should be stored in a dry, cool place, away from light.

Fresh herbs have a short shelf life before they begin to go bad. Keep fresh herbs up to 2 weeks or until they begin to shrivel. Dried herbs have a longer shelf life, but will begin to smell and taste less potent over time. As a general rule, ground spices last 2 to 3 years, herbs 1 to 3 years, seasoning blends 1 to 2 years, and whole seeds up to 4 years. Label herbs with a date to ensure your flavors are on point.