Food - Drink
The One Herb Rachael Ray Will Never Use Dried
By ERIN SHAW
While there’s nothing wrong with adding convenient dried herbs to your recipes, some fresh herbs offer a much more vibrant taste and a higher vitamin content than their dried counterparts. Chef Rachael Ray has strong feelings about one herb in particular, and she always uses it fresh and never dried.
On her website for the “Rachael Ray Show,” Ray shared that basil is the one herb she won't buy in dried form. Basil is a delicate leafy herb that suffers a bit when dehydrated, and compared to fresh, peppery basil leaves, dried basil takes on a sweeter flavor that is more minty, and might not work in a dish that calls for fresh basil.
While Ray didn’t specify why she doesn’t care for dried basil, it's quite easy to buy or grow the fresh version and give it a try. Fresh basil leaves and basil plants are widely available at grocery stores and farm stands, and you can even keep basil fresh by putting it in a glass or vase of water, just like you would with fresh flowers.