Tarragon
Tarragon has long, flat, delicate leaves. The French have most likely embraced its strong licorice-like flavor, making it a key component in classic sauces like sauce béarnaise as well as the seasoning blend fines herbes together with chervil, parsley, and chives.
Culinary Uses: Although tarragon is most famous for being the main component in béarnaise sauce because of its sweet anise taste, its applications go well beyond that. It complements eggs, fish, and poultry in especially, and it can infuse white-wine vinegar to serve as the foundation for a delicately sweet salad dressing. Near the end of cooking, add tarragon to maximize its distinctive taste.
Prep: The delicate leaves of tarragon can be cut, torn, or eaten whole. They bruise readily, much like basil. You don’t have to discard the stems because they might be woody and have a milder flavor than the leaves. The stems can be used intact to improve the taste of stock, soup, or pasta sauce. They should be utilized to build flavor.
Storage: In your refrigerator, keep tarragon wrapped in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag or loosely wrapped in plastic with the stem end in a little water-filled container. It’ll go on for a week to ten days. The leaves may either be coarsely chopped and frozen in ice cube trays with a tiny bit of water, or they can be put in a plastic bag for freezing. To soups and sauces, add the combination one cube at a time. Because tarragon loses a lot of taste when dried, unlike other herbs, you should combine it with butter, oil, or vinegar to maintain its distinctive flavor.
Thyme
Thyme is one of the most adaptable herbs available and is most commonly used as a background seasoning for stews and soups. Small, delicate leaves with a Mediterranean origin can be cut or used whole to flavor food, and whole sprigs can be used to flavor stocks and soups. Its flavor may be anything from flowery and fruity to acidic and lemony.
Culinary Uses: Thyme tastes fantastic both on its own and when combined with other herbs like parsley, sage, or rosemary. It goes nicely with just about anything, including soft vegetables, fish, poultry, and dark meat. It may be added to foods either at the start of the cooking process to increase taste or at the end as a garnish.
Prep: The little leaves of thyme can be cut or consumed whole. They bruise readily, much like basil. The stems of the sprigs are soft towards the blossom end but become woody as they descend. The best course of action is to remove the little, sensitive leaves from the stems and flavor soups and sauces with the remaining stems.
Storage: Thyme should be placed in a plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator covered in a wet paper towel. It’ll go on for a week to ten days. The leaves may either be coarsely chopped and frozen in ice cube trays with a tiny bit of water, or they can be put in a plastic bag for freezing. To soups and sauces, add the combination one cube at a time. Thyme has a musty taste when dried. Use a dehydrator to dry the leaves, or lay them out on a big baking sheet and cook them in your oven at the lowest temperature setting until they are crumbly and dry.
