Helpful Hints on using Fresh Herbs

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To wash herbs, hold by stems and rinse vigorously in a sink of cool water until free of dirt. Then either spin dry or blot dry with paper towels. The drier the herbs, the better they’ll tolerate cutting and chopping.

Enhance the flavor of vegetable or rice dishes by adding fresh herbs to the cooking water. For a subtler flavor, enclose chopped fresh herbs in cheesecloth to cooking water and remove at end. For a more robust flavor, chop fresh herbs and add directly into cooking water.

Consider drenching your favorite roast, poultry, fish or ham with a medley of herbs. Just finely chop your choice of three varieties of your favorite fresh herbs, combine with chopped garlic and olive oil, and evenly coat the entire outer surface, or apply under the skin or fat cap for a more robust flavor.

Fresh herbs can impart a signature flavor to your breads. As a guideline, finely chop one to two Tablespoons of fresh herbs for each pound loaf of bread.

For an elegant herb butter, blend 1/2 cup unsalted, softened butter or margarine with one Tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice. Roll herb butter into a log and store in waxed paper in freezer, or use candy molds to fashion individual pats as needed.

Food Safety

GAP, GMP, HACCP. You may have heard of these acronyms that are becoming increasingly important in our quest for better food safety. But what do these terms mean?

GAP, or Good Agricultural Practices, focuses on the four basic components of production: soil, water, hands, and surfaces. By developing guidelines to address potential risks associated with each of these components, both the quality and safety of harvested produce can be enhanced.

GMP, or Good Manufacturing Practices, is the cornerstone of food quality and safety. GMP includes a food safety plan that incorporates water, product and facility testing.

HACCP, or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, is a systematic seven step process that identifies “Critical Control Points” in the production process—and seeks to eliminate the risk posed at those points.

HerbCo implements all three processes - GMP, GAP and HACCP - in its day to day operations.