So herbs and spices reach the full taste

Boil herbs and spices - The right time is crucial

With delicious herbs and spices many foods can be flavored. However, it is often crucial when they are added to the food. Because some herbs can lose their aroma due to heat, while others develop their full flavor only when they cook.

The right time is important

In hardly any kitchen may they be missing: healthy herbs for seasoning refine so many dishes. Especially in the Mediterranean diet, they are often used. Although herbs and spices can give a meal a special flavor by their aromas. Crucial is that they are added to the food at the right time.

Delicious herbs and spices give a meal a special flavor with its aromas. Crucial, however, is that they are added to the food at the right time. (Image: marcin jucha / fotolia.com)

Just before serving in the food

"Some herbs lose their aromas quickly in the heat, others unfold their full flavor only when they cook," explains Silke Noll, nutrition expert of the Consumer Center Bavaria, in a statement.

As a rule of thumb: Delicate, fine-leaved herbs such as basil, dill, chives, parsley, chervil, coriander or lemon balm are crushed just before serving and added to the food.

In this way the aroma is preserved.

Some herbs develop their full aroma only when cooking

Herbs with firm leaves like thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, lavender, savory or laurel, on the other hand, are allowed to cook longer, as they only develop their aroma during the cooking time.

Even spices such as cumin, cloves and juniper berries give off their full flavor only by the longer cooking time to the food.

On the other hand, saffron, nutmeg, paprika and pepper are sensitive to heat.

Goods from organic farming or your own garden

Health experts advise bioware because, as tests have shown, many conventionally produced herbs are often contaminated with pesticides.

Anyone who grows herbs themselves in the garden and not only wants to enjoy them during the harvest season can also simply conserve them, for example by crushing them and then freezing them in portions.

In addition, delicious - and healthy - herbal oils can be produced. (Ad)