Subj : Fresh Versus Dry Herb Conversion (informational) To : All From : Ben Collver Date : Sun Apr 23 2023 09:30:33 MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Fresh Versus Dry Herb Conversion Categories: Hints, Information Yield: 1 Hint 1 tb Fresh herbs = 1 ts dried -herbs 1 ts Dried leaf = 1/2 ts ground -dried herb powder The general rule for dried "flaky" herbs like dried cilantro or dried tarragon is 3 to 1 or three parts fresh to one part dried. You can also look at this as: 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs If you are working with dried ground herbs like ground ginger, which will be even more potent than the dried flaky herbs, the general ratio is 4 to 1 or four parts fresh to one part dried. Another general rule: 1 teaspoon dried leaf herb = 1/2 teaspoon ground dried herb # Why These Ratios? If you're wondering why you need so many more fresh herbs than dried herbs, you must remember that fresh herbs like basil and parsley are 80% to 90% water. In the drying process, the water evaporates, leaving highly potent essential oils with more concentrated flavors than their fresh counterparts. When you talk about rosemary and thyme with even harder leaves than basil, flavor intensity can be even more significant, so be careful when adding these dried spices to a dish. # Exceptions to the Rule Like everything in life, there are always exceptions to my general rules above. For example, you would substitute one fresh bay leaf for two dried or one medium onion for one teaspoon of onion powder. Both basil and parsley surprised me with a 2 to 1 fresh to dried. I searched the Internet to see what I could find for these conversions and came up with this chart. There was no consensus between all the sites, but this should be a good start to work with until you come up with your ratios. Herb Fresh Corresponding Dried ============== ========================== ======================= Basil 2 ts finely chopped 1 ts dried Bay Leaf 1 leaf fresh 2 leaves dried Chervil 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Cilantro 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Cinnamon 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 ts ground Cumin 4.5 tb whole seed 4 tb ground (1 oz) Dill 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Garlic (large) 1 clove fresh (1.5 ts minced) 1/2 ts powder Garlic (small) 1 clove fresh (1/2 ts minced) 1/8 ts powder Ginger 1 tb freshly grated 1/4 ts dry ground Ginger 1 tb minced 1/2 ts dry ground Marjoram 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Onion 1 med onion 1 ts onion powder Oregano 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Parsley 2 ts fresh 1 ts dried Rosemary 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Sage 2 ts fresh 1 ts dried Star Anise 1 star anise fresh 1/2 ts anise seed Tarragon 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Thyme 3 ts fresh 1 ts dried Thyme 1 ts dried 3/4 ts ground Vanilla 1 in vanilla bean 1 ts extract Source: Recipe by Stephen Jones MMMMM .