ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Herbs and Spices: Substitutes

Updated on October 9, 2017

Simple Solutions

Herbs and spices are crucial ingredients when cooking because they add an abundance of flavor to your favorite dishes. Most recipes call for dried herbs and spices because they are readily available in the stores; however, fresh herbs and spices are wonderful to use as well, especially if you have them growing in the garden. Likewise, there is nothing better than picking your own “home-grown” herbs for use in your favorite recipes.

Dried and Fresh

So, you have a recipe and let’s say it calls for a teaspoon of dried basil; however, you have fresh growing on the windowsill and would prefer to use it instead. Well, here is the problem – how much of the fresh should you use to replace the dried? The general rule of thumb is to use three times as much fresh as dried because dried herbs are generally more potent than fresh. For instance, if the recipe calls for a teaspoon of dried, you will need to use a tablespoon of fresh. It’s simple math – three teaspoons equal a tablespoon.

Don't substitute some

Although this ratio sounds simple, it is not always the case. Keep in mind that if your recipe calls for fresh, there are some herbs and spices that you should not substitute with dried because the flavor of the fresh is much better than their dried equivalent. For instance, dried dill, chives and parsley, just to name a few, should not be used in place of fresh.

Note: Keep in mind that the longer the dried spice has been open, the less potent it may be. So, use your judgment and add a little more, if you feel the need – just do little amounts at a time so you don’t over season.

Below is a table that should help you determine what measurement of fresh is equivalent to dry.

Measurements and Equivalents

Herb/Spice
Fresh
Dried
Basil
2 tsp of finely chopped
1 teaspoon
Bay leaves
1 leaf
2 leaves
Chives
1 Tbsp finely chopped
1 tsp
Cilantro
3 tsp
1 tsp
Dill
3 tsp
1 tsp
Garlic
1 large clove
1/2 tsp powder
Marjoram
3 tsp
1 tsp
Onions
1 medium
1 tsp onion powder
Oregano
1 Tbsp finely chopped
1 tsp
Parsley
3 sprigs (2 tsp finely chopped)
1 tsp
Rosemary
1 medium sprig (1 Tbsp)
1 tsp
Sage
12 leaves
1 tsp
Tarragon
3 tsp
1 tsp
Thyme
5 sprigs (1 Tbsp)
3/4 tsp ground
Lemon Peel
1 tsp chopped
1 tsp
Garlic
1 large clove
1 1/2 tsp minced
Garlic
1 small clove
1/2 tsp minced
Garlic
1 small clove
1/8 tsp powder

A few notes

  • 3 portions of fresh = 1 portion of dried - usually
  • Dried herbs are more potent than fresh
  • If your recipe calls for fresh dill, parsley or chives – use fresh
  • Dried herbs and spices lose their potency after a while – so check dates
  • Some dried herb containers will give you the equivalent of fresh
  • If the flavor isn’t working for you – add more – a little at a time
  • If you use fresh; however, only need a little for the recipe – store the rest in a paper towel for later use
  • Store dried herbs/spiced in a cool dark place to help keep them fresh

© 2011 bellartdesigns

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)