Thyme (thymus vulgaris) is an herb that can be consumed fresh or dried. Like other herbs and spices, it's packed with disease-fighting nutrients and antioxidants.
Dozens of varieties are available, but those interested in the best culinary thymes have only a handful of choices. Those best for flavor, as well as ease of use, are the low-growing, shrubby ones known as English, French, lemon, or winter thyme.
A sprig of thyme is not a specific amount, like say a tablespoon or a pound. Thyme has a delicate flavor, and it would take a lot to overpower a recipe. If you want to twist our arm, leaves from a normal sprig of thyme would equal between 1/4 and 3/4 teaspoon.
Harvest thyme just before the plant flowers by cutting off the top five to six inches of growth. Leave the tough, woody parts. It's best to harvest thyme in morning after the dew has dried. Clean leaves should not be washed, because it removes some of the essential oils.
The following herbs go well with these meats:
- Beef: thyme, celery, marjoram, coriander, sage, rosemary, oregano, garlic.
- Chicken: garlic, marjoram, tarragon, oregano, coriander.
- Fish, fried: mustard, oregano, tarragon, sage.
- Fish, grilled: thyme, coriander, fennel, rosemary.
You'll thank me this winter, when you're adding it to lentil soup, savory beef stew, or lemon-garlic roasted chicken.
- Freeze Your Freshly Cut Thyme.
- Dry or Dehydrate Your Thyme.
- Make a Bouquet Garni for Now or Later.
- Make Thyme Oil, Vinegar, Butter, or Honey.
The aroma of thyme is pungent, warming, spicy and agreeable. Its flavor is similarly pungent and warming with a lingering, medicinal, mouth-freshening sharpness that comes from the presence of an important volatile oil, thymol.
Do fresh and dried thyme look the same? When fresh, the leaves of common thyme have a deep green color with a lighter colored underside. The stems are usually a light brownish-yellow. When dried, the leaves become darker grayish green and the stems take on a darker brown.
3 Ways to Dry ThymeHang the small bunches on a nail or hook in a warm, dark place with good airflow and low humidity. After 1 to 2 weeks, once the leaves have completely dried, remove the leaves by running fingers down the stem, and store the thyme in a mason jar or other airtight container.
Eating healthy should still be delicious.
- Carefully remove herbs from any packaging, including twist ties.
- Remove any damaged leaves or stems.
- Rinse herbs under cool running water, turning constantly until thoroughly clean.
- Let herbs drip-dry for a moment over the sink.
- Check for and remove any remaining damaged leaves.
It's totally safe to eat rosemary stems if you want to, and they taste just like the needles. However, their tough, woody texture makes them unpalatable. As a matter of fact, rosemary stems have just as much flavor as the needles do. But there's another fact about them that makes them a poor choice to eat.
What Does It Taste Like? Fresh thyme has a pronounced, concentrated herbal flavor with sharp grass, wood, and floral notes (like lavender and rosemary). Lemon thyme's citrus fragrance is the most prominent note in that variety.
Normally the fresh thyme can be stored in refrigerator for a few days (one or two weeks) if it is warped in a damp paper towel and place it in a plastic bag. For long term storage the fresh thyme should be washed, trimmed/ chopped and dried properly before placing it in heavy freezer bags and freeze it.
When taken by mouth: Rosemary is LIKELY SAFE when consumed in amounts found in foods. Rosemary leaf is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth as a medicine in doses up to 6 grams per day. But taking undiluted rosemary oil or very large amounts of rosemary leaf is LIKELY UNSAFE.
Lemon thyme is best used fresh. Chop lemon thyme leaves just before use, and add at the very end of the cooking process before they lose flavor and color. Lemon thyme may be added to poultry, seafood, vegetable, marinades, stews, soups, sauces and stuffing while fresh sprigs of this herb make a lovely garnish.
Thyme: Fresh thyme will last about 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator, while ground and dried thyme will last about three to four years. Turmeric: Ground turmeric will last about three to four years.
The Best Thyme Substitutes
- Oregano. Fresh or dried, oregano hits many of the same earthy, minty, savory and slightly bitter notes as thyme.
- Marjoram. You can also use fresh or dried marjoram in place of thyme.
- Basil.
- Savory.
- Poultry seasoning.
- Italian seasoning.
- Za'atar.
- Herbes de Provence.
So, do a bit of simple math: Since 1 teaspoon of dried herb equals 1/2 teaspoon of ground, replace the tablespoon of fresh thyme (from the previous example) with 1/2 teaspoon of ground.
Add a couple of pinches of dried thyme to the flour when you are baking bread. This will produce an herbed bread that goes great with butter. Dried thyme also works well with pasta. Once you have already prepared the sauce, add a pinch of the dried leaves to enhance its flavor.
Thyme: Substitute 3/4 teaspoon ground thyme for every 6 sprigs or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.
Pretty much all Americans pronounce 'thyme' sans h, the same way we say “time.” It wasn't until I found out there are some parts of the UK where they actually do pronounce it like “thime” that I started second-guessing the proper way to pronounce this herb.
A. A sprig is generally defined as a 2- to 4-inch piece of the herb plant. You can substitute about 1/2 teaspoon of dried herb for a sprig; however, be sure to read the recipe before you decide to substitute.
