COOKING with fresh herbs

We all recognise how impactful the smell of food can be, often drawing you to it long before you can see or taste it. Fresh herbs, readily available in cut and potted form, can be added to all types of food to enhance the flavour naturally, eliminating the need to add pre-made flavourings which are often high in salt and sugar.

There are so many healthy properties in herbs that they don’t just improve the look and taste of your food but they can increase your vitamin intake and aid digestion. The flavour and aroma from herbs is from the plant’s essential oils. These oils are fragile and dissipate over time which means buying the freshest herbs available is a much better choice than the dried option which many people have sitting in jars at the back of their kitchen cupboards for years.

When purchasing herbs, look for healthy, unblemished leaves that are vibrant in colour and are not bruised, yellowed or browning. They should also have a fresh, untainted fragrance.