Taste test: flakes vs leaves

[georgevan]

for instance: a recipe called for chopped parsley leaves but I didn't have any so I used parsley flakes out of the bottle. Will the results taste as good?

 

[pepperhead212]

Not even close in flavor - dried is like parsley that has been cooked for a while. Cilantro and basil are two others that I would never use dried.

 

[blissful]

It won't taste 'as green'. Fresh parsley has a green-ish flavor to me. (fresh flavor) Dried parsley is kind of bland but it won't over power anything. I'm still using chopped and frozen parsley from last summer. That is more green.

 

[caseydog]

Not even close in flavor - dried is like parsley that has been cooked for a while. Cilantro and basil are two others that I would never use dried.

Definitely on the basil. Dried oregano if good, while dried basil has very little flavor. I grow both of those, and have dried them myself, and the basil still lacks flavor, even if I rub it between my hands to release oils, as you do with other dried herbs.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

I usually double the amount of dried parsley to get the taste. It still doesn't have the "fresh" taste that others mention, but do finds it adds something and is better than nothing. Don't get tooo carried away with increasing the amount though, very easy to overdo it.

If there is a lot of liquid in whatever I'm making, I do add the dried parsley early. It seems to rehydrate a tiny bit and I think there is more of the flavour there.

Dried basil, as casey has said, has absolutely no flavour, I don't even bother.

 

[GotGarlic]

In general, woody herbs like oregano, sage and thyme maintain flavor better when dried than delicate herbs like basil, cilantro and parsley.

 

[Marlingardener]

Dried parsley tastes like grass to me, so like Blissful, I chop and freeze my own parsley.
I also dry our own basil. We grow the Genovese large leaf basil, which is stronger in flavor fresh than other basils. Fresh is best, but dried is fine, too.