How to Chop Thyme
Thyme is one of my favorite herbs. Its very distinctive taste goes really well with fish, chicken, pork, beef, and even a ton of vegetables and side dishes. Dried thyme has its uses, and I’ve always got a jar in the cabinet, but I’ll go to fresh thyme just as often. If you’re looking for a more subtle taste and/or you’re going to cook the thyme for just a few seconds (not giving the time the dried version needs to release it flavors) I suggest using the fresh stuff. Peeling the leaves off the stem can be a bit of a pain, as they are so delicate, but in this cooking video, I show you how to do it.
How to Clean Thyme
- For some uses (like a bouquet garni) you can use the entire thyme stem; but assuming you just want the leaves, you’ll want to follow the below steps, which are also shown in the video
- Removing the leaves is a bit tough because they are so small, and the stem can be very delicate, breaking away easily when trying to pull the leaves off
- To get them off, first determine in what direction they are growing. Like all leaves they’ll tend to grown up, towards the sunlight
- To remove them, hold the top of the stem between your thumb and forefinger
- Then with your other thumb/forefinger very gently grab the stem just below where you’re holding it, and slide your fingers downward
- The light pressure won’t be enough to break the stem, but it will be enough to peel away the leaves as you move down
- You should be left with a clean stem in one hand, and the leaves, separated on your cutting board
- Generally the leaves are so small I don’t even bother cutting them
Hope you find this useful.
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