In recent years, fresh herbs or dried herbs have become a huge demand in cooking. And thyme is no exception. Thyme sprigs are considered a natural flavoring agent and give dishes an intense flavor. Therefore, spice sprigs are part of many dishes.
Contents
- 1 Basic information
- 2 Features
- 3 Thyme sprig dimensions
- 4 Differences between fresh thyme and dried thyme
- 5 Thyme sprig alternative
- 6 Proper use of thyme in cooking
- 7 Proper preparation of thyme
- 8 Proper cooking with thyme
- 9 Proper storage of thyme
- 10 Thyme equivalent
- 11 Start of the thyme season
- 12 Thyme cooking rules: do’s and don’ts
- 13 Benefits of thyme sprig
- 14 FAQ
- 15 Results
Basic information
Before studying the question, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the herb. Thyme has another name – creeping thyme. It belongs to the mint family. This is a perennial that does not need a transplant. In the culinary field, the most popular variety is Thymus vulgaris.
Not every cook can properly use thyme in cooking, due to its unusual taste. Fresh thyme has a spicy and salty taste, which can be noted in notes of mint. Therefore, fresh thyme is an excellent addition to many dishes.
Features
It is impossible to say exactly how much thyme is in thyme sprigs. After all, this is not an accurate measure of measurement, when compared with spoons or weight. A sprig of thyme is an arbitrary dimension used by chefs. On average, the length of a herb sprig varies from 4 to 5 inches.
The bushes may have the main lignified stem, from which compact branches of thyme will extend.
On average, one sprig of thyme contains about half of one teaspoon of thyme leaves.
As you know, bushes consist of lignified thyme stems. However, it is better not to use the woody stems in cooking, because it is difficult to chew them. It is better to cut some leaves from a lignified stem, which is added to your dish.
Thyme sprig dimensions
It must be said right away that the size of the sprig of thyme may vary.
Length
If the thyme bushes are mature, then the plant sprig is 4-5 inches long. If you’re planning to cut fresh thyme, it’s best to opt for stems.
Width
The width of the plant sprig on the bushes can vary, depending on how many secondary stems are formed. Often the secondary branch of thyme is not too large, so the width is negligible.
The volume of the plant
It must be said right away that the volume can be measured by removing all the small leaves from the spice sprigs. As already mentioned, the volume of 1 sprig of thyme varies from a quarter to ¾ teaspoon.
Differences between fresh thyme and dried thyme
If you prefer to use fresh thyme, you need to grow it yourself. After all, fresh thyme appears in stores only in the warm season, when it’s the growing season. Fresh spice has many benefits.
As you know, fresh thyme has a strong flavor and aroma. If you grow your herb, you can get fresh thyme throughout the year.
Planting should be carried out in containers that are placed on the windowsill.
You can also stock up on fresh spices for later use. To do this, fresh thyme is cut off and wrapped in a paper towel. It is recommended to store fresh thyme for no more than 15 days in the refrigerator.
Many people like to use dried spice. You can find dried leaves in most grocery stores. To do this, you need to go to the department with spices. The advantage of dried thyme is that the leaves attached to the twig are already separated and dried. Therefore, you do not have to waste time separating the leaves.
You can also get dried thyme yourself. As you know, dried spice lasts longer. The average shelf life of dried thyme is six months. If you provide the right storage conditions for dried thyme, then it is stored for up to a year.
Thyme sprig alternative
If the recipe calls for the use of spice sprigs, it is not necessary to go in search of the main component. If the recipe calls for a sprig of thyme, then you can use marjoram, oregano, and savory as an alternative.
If the recipe calls for thyme stalks, you can use rosemary, herbs de Provence, or basil instead. Moreover, if you use other herbs, you can combine them.
Proper use of thyme in cooking
As already mentioned, thyme is in great demand in cooking. Thyme good ingredient if you plan to cook first courses, meat, or potatoes. Some use a sprig of thyme to add a delicate flavor to a marinade or bread.
Proper preparation of thyme
It is extremely important to properly prepare the sprig of thyme for future use. If you are using fresh thyme, you need to wash part of the thyme plant first. After that, the sprig of thyme is dried using a towel.
In cooking, you can use fresh or dried thyme.
At the same time, the taste, and aroma of the dish do not suffer. If you plan to add a sprig of thyme to the recipe, then it is not necessary to remove the fresh thyme leaves from it. You can toss in the entire sprig of thyme to save cooking time.
Before you serve the dish to the table, it is better to take out a sprig of thyme. Some people like to remove the green leaves from a sprig of thyme. Making it pretty simple. The tip of the plant sprig should be held with one hand, and with the other hand run along the woody stem. Fresh leaves can be consumed.
Proper cooking with thyme
If you decide to use thyme while cooking, you can add leaves to many vegetable and meat dishes. Try to add thyme leaves or sprigs ahead of time. After all, the grass needs time to reveal its taste and aroma.
Proper storage of thyme
As already mentioned, the leaves are attached to a lignified stem. You can use only the leaves or the whole stem in cooking. However, you need to know how to properly store thyme.
If you recently cut a sprig of thyme, you can store the thyme in the refrigerator. To do this, as already mentioned, you need to wrap it in a towel. You can also use an airtight container.
If you’re planning to store dried thyme, you’ll need to find a dry, warm place first. This prevents mold on dried thyme. Store dried thyme in airtight glass jars.
Thyme equivalent
As you know, it is quite difficult to measure thyme if the leaves are on a woody stem. If you’re wondering how much thyme is in a sprig, there are some easy equivalents:
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme easily replaces half a teaspoon of dried thyme;
- one ounce of dried thyme replaces half a cup of fresh herb;
- one teaspoon of dried thyme is equivalent to one tablespoon of fresh thyme.
Start of the thyme season
Fresh thyme is available throughout the year. Only for this, you need to put the container with the plants on the windowsill in a warm place. Quite often, people plant a thyme plant outdoors. If a cold winter prevails in your area, then you only get thyme harvest in the spring.
If your area has a warm climate throughout the year, then you enjoy the thyme yields all year round. The thyme plant prefers to grow in a warm environment. Wild thyme prefers to grow towards the coast of warm countries.
Plant care
Thyme plant care is simple. The main thing is that you do not water the bushes too much. Otherwise, the plants are susceptible to mold and fungi.
Thyme cooking rules: do’s and don’ts
If you decide to use a sprig of thyme to cook different dishes, you need to follow the basic rules.
Allowed actions
It is recommended to add thyme only to certain dishes that require a spicy taste. Add thyme at the beginning of the cooking process. This allows the plant to release all of its flavors and add flavor. Be aware of the need for proper storage of thyme.
Do not forget to measure the dosage of thyme correctly so as not to spoil the taste of the finished dish. You can use the equivalents that were described earlier.
Prohibited actions
Do not store thyme in a humid environment. Before putting the grass for permanent storage, excess moisture must be removed from it.
To do this, dry the twigs and thyme leaves with a towel.
As already mentioned, dishes should not be served along with a lignified stem. After all, it is difficult to eat it, and it only interferes.
Benefits of thyme sprig
Thyme sprigs are rich in nutrients. A tablespoon of the product contains about 1 gram of carbohydrates. The calorie content of this amount of grass is 3 kcal.
It should also be noted the content of vitamins A and C. Thyme contains fiber, proteins, and fats – 1 gram each. It also has iron and manganese.
Health benefits
The use of spice sprigs has a positive effect on human health, namely:
- strengthening of immunity;
- fight against angina and bronchitis;
- normalization of the nervous system. The use of thyme helps fight insomnia and depression;
- prevention of food poisoning;
- removal of harmful cholesterol from the blood;
- normalization of blood pressure.
FAQ
When it comes to spice sprigs, there are a lot of questions to ask.
What is the equivalent of 2 sprigs of thyme?
If you take 2 sprigs of thyme, you can get one tablespoon of fresh leaves. They need to be separated from the main woody stem. If two sprigs of thyme are not found, you can replace them with a teaspoon of dried thyme.
How much is 3 sprigs of thyme?
Three sprigs of thyme can replace one and a half teaspoons of dried thyme. That is, fresh, you need 1.5 tablespoons of leaves.
How much dried thyme is 6 sprigs?
If you have 6 sprigs of thyme, this is equivalent to ¾ teaspoon of ground thyme.
Results
As you can see, a sprig of thyme is quite a popular component in cooking. The most important thing is to know the correct proportions to add to dishes. This allows you to achieve the best result in cooking.
I hope my article was helpful to you. I will be glad to see your comments in which you tell me about your “relationship” with thyme. I think it will be useful to me and all my readers.
Learn More: How Much Thyme in a Sprig?
