Fresh herbs are the ingredient that divides dishes into before and after. The same pasta with dried oregano and with fresh basil are different meals. And at a summer farm stand, you will find varieties — lemon basil, purple basil, bronze fennel, shiso, Mexican tarragon — that never appear in supermarket herb bundles.
Herbs worth knowing
Tender herbs (add at the end of cooking, or use raw)
Basil — The essential summer herb. Sweet, clove-like, irreplaceable in Italian cooking and Southeast Asian cuisine. Goes black and dull within seconds of heat. Use raw, add as a finish, or blend into pesto and herb oils. See the basil guide for full detail.
Cilantro — Bright, citrusy, divisive. The defining herb of Mexican, South Asian, and Southeast Asian cooking. Use raw or add in the last minute of cooking. Every part is edible — leaves, stems, roots, and seeds (which become coriander).
Parsley — The most versatile and underrated herb. Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley has a stronger flavor than curly. Use it in everything — soups, salads, grain dishes, sauces, as a garnish. Curly parsley is milder and purely ornamental by comparison. Flat-leaf is the cooking choice.
Dill — Anise-like and fresh. The defining herb for fish, cucumbers, yogurt, and Scandinavian cooking. Goes limp fast once cut; use within a day or two of purchase. Excellent in egg dishes, potato salads, and pickles.
Mint — Cooling, sweet, intensely aromatic. Spearmint for cooking (mojitos, lamb, fruit); peppermint for desserts and teas. Farm stands sometimes carry chocolate mint, apple mint, and lemon mint — worth trying. Mint is invasive as a garden plant; most farms contain it.
Chives — Mild onion flavor, delicate. Snip over eggs, potatoes, sour cream, smoked fish. The most frost-tolerant of the tender herbs; available early spring.
Tarragon — Licorice-like, elegant. The defining herb of French cooking — béarnaise, fines herbes, chicken with tarragon cream. Use sparingly; the flavor is strong.
Sorrel — Tangy and lemony, used like a leaf vegetable as much as an herb. Excellent in spring soups, sauces, and with eggs. A farm-stand herb that rarely reaches supermarkets.
Hardy herbs (add early in cooking)
Thyme — Earthy, slightly floral, essential in French cooking. Works in almost any savory preparation — roasts, braises, soups, vegetables. Add early and leave in long cooking. Dozens of varieties; lemon thyme is worth seeking out.
Rosemary — Piney, resinous, assertive. Use with lamb, potatoes, bread (focaccia), and roasted vegetables. The one herb where less is usually more. Woody stems make good skewers for grilling.
Sage — Musky, earthy, autumnal. Classic with pork and poultry, brown butter pasta, stuffing. Fried sage leaves in butter is a simple preparation worth knowing. Use less than you think.
Oregano — The pizza and Mediterranean herb. Fresh oregano is more intense than dried; used in salads, Greek dishes, tomato sauces. Mexican oregano is a distinct variety with a different, more pungent flavor.
Bay leaf — Aromatic, used whole in long-cooked dishes (soups, stews, braises, pickling liquid). Remove before serving. Fresh bay leaves have a different, more complex flavor than dried.
Marjoram — Closely related to oregano but sweeter and more delicate. Excellent in egg dishes, sausages, and light sauces. More commonly found at farm stands than supermarkets.
When fresh herbs are in season
Spring (March – May): Chives, parsley, early thyme and mint. The first herbs of the season at farm stands.
Summer peak (June – September): Basil, cilantro, dill, all the tender summer herbs. Also peak production for all hardy perennials. This is when variety selection is widest.
Fall (October – November): Parsley and hardy perennial herbs persist through frost. Basil and cilantro are finished after the first cold snap.
Winter: Most tender herbs are done outdoors. Hardy herbs in mild climates survive and can often be harvested from the garden. Greenhouse herbs are available year-round.
How to store fresh herbs
Tender herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, mint): Trim the stems and stand them in a glass of water like cut flowers. Cover loosely with a plastic bag. Basil keeps best at room temperature (refrigerator cold turns basil black). All others can go in the refrigerator this way. Change water every two days.
Hardy herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, marjoram): Wrap loosely in a slightly damp paper towel, place in a zip bag, and refrigerate. Last 1 to 2 weeks easily.
All herbs: Do not wash until use. Moisture speeds decay.
See the full fresh herb storage guide for variety-specific timelines and tricks.
How to use fresh herbs
Herb butter: Softened butter blended with chopped herbs — parsley, chives, thyme, tarragon — rolled into a log and refrigerated or frozen. Slices melt over steaks, grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. See our fresh herb butter recipe.
Pesto: Basil pesto is the classic, but pesto works with any green herb or green — parsley, arugula, cilantro, mint. See our basil pesto recipe. Keeps refrigerated for a week, frozen for months.
Herb oils: Blanch tender herbs briefly, shock in ice water, blend with neutral oil. Bright green, intensely flavored. Drizzle over soup, fish, or cheese plates.
Chimichurri: Chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper, vinegar, and olive oil. The Argentine sauce for grilled meat that works as a marinade, condiment, or dressing.
Gremolata: Finely chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Sprinkled over braised meats (osso buco traditionally) or roasted vegetables to lift the flavor.
Compound preparations: Herb-crusted roasts, herb-marinated fish, herbed yogurt sauces, tabbouleh (parsley as a base vegetable, not just a garnish).
Freezing: Chop herbs and freeze in ice cube trays with olive oil. Pop out frozen cubes and store in bags — drop directly into soups, sauces, and sautés from frozen.
Flavor pairings by herb
- Basil: tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon
- Cilantro: lime, avocado, jalapeño, cumin, ginger, coconut
- Parsley: garlic, lemon, olive oil, capers, anchovy, eggs
- Dill: cucumber, salmon, yogurt, potatoes, eggs, sour cream
- Mint: lamb, peas, chocolate, yogurt, cucumber, melon, citrus
- Chives: eggs, potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, smoked fish
- Thyme: chicken, mushrooms, garlic, lemon, roasted vegetables
- Rosemary: lamb, potatoes, focaccia, garlic, lemon
- Sage: butter, pork, butternut squash, brown butter pasta, stuffing
- Oregano: tomato, feta, olives, olive oil, eggplant, pizza