Chopping Herbs

Many chefs and amateur cooks, in an attempt to be well prepared, chop their herbs in advance and have them on hand to be used as last-minute flavorings. Some chopped herbs immediately begin to lose flavor, or worse, their flavor is unpleasantly changed.

When chopping herbs, make sure they are perfectly dry. If an herb is chopped while wet, the flavors dissipate into the surrounding liquid. The chopped herb will also form clumps and become impossible to chop finely and evenly. Many cooks wring chopped parsley out in a towel after it is chopped to eliminate excess moisture and make the parsley easy to sprinkle in sauces or over foods. Such parsley may be easier to handle, but most of its flavor and finesse will be lost.