If you’re not familiar with herbs, you may wonder which are the best herbs for cooking. While it’s widely known that herbs are essential ingredients to flavour international dishes – from Africa to Asia and everywhere in-between – there’s more to herbs than meets the eye.

That’s where our Certificate of Culinary Herbs shines with tips, advice and methods to help you grow, harvest and use herbs in your dishes! This online cooking course is ideal for gardeners, herb farmers, cooks, chefs or anyone interested in extending their culinary skills.

In this online cooking course, you will discover how to identify and grow edible herbs, drying methods to preserve flavour, methods for improving soil, water management, propagation, dealing with pests, disease and environmental problems, and establishing herb plants.

You will also learn about harvesting roots, leaves, seeds and fruits of herbs and hints for using herbs in cooking, including meals, herbal teas, vinegars, oils, butters, cheeses, salts, sugars and honey.

Take a look at what you’ll learn on completion of this exciting new culinary herbs for cooking course!

What You’ll Learn

Outcomes achieved when you study how to use herbs for cooking your culinary favourites!

• Herbs and horticulture
• Accurately identifying herbs
• Plant classification and binomial system
• Pronouncing plant names
• Plant nutrition and fertilisers
• Water management for herbs
• Diagnosing plant health problems
• Pests, disease and environmental problems
• Planting, staking, and establishing herb plants
• Propagation of herbs
• Seed propagation
• Cutting propagation
• Potting media
• Division, separation and layering
• Rejuvenation of perennials
• Designing a culinary herb garden
• Creating a kitchen garden
• Planning a fragrant herb garden
• Companion planting in your design
• Cooking with herbs
• Harvesting herbs; roots, leaves, seed, fruits
• Handling after harvest
• Drying herbs
• Hints for using a range of selected herbs in cooking
• Herbs for garnish
• Herbal teas: what & how to use different herbs
• Herb vinegars, oils, butters, cheeses, salts, sugars, honey
• Herb confectionary, cakes, etc.
• Selected herb recipes
• Using herbs with fruit
• Review of many common culinary herbs, including their culture and culinary use

And more …

What are Culinary Herbs?

Culinary herbs are aromatic, edible plants used in small quantities to add flavour dishes – and knowledge of them will help make you a more adventurous cook! Ten of the most popular herbs for cooking include basil, chives, mint, parsley, coriander, rosemary, thyme, oregano and dill. 

10 Most Popular Herbs for Cooking

1. Basil

Basil is a delicious and versatile member of the mint family. It has glossy, dark green pointy leaves with a sweet and savoury flavour. There are many different varieties of basil, including sweet basil, Thai basil, holy basil and lemon basil. And there are many more ways to use this popular herb, from topping pizzas to adding pizzazz to Asian curries! One of the most loved sauces, pesto, also relies on basil as a main ingredient!

2. Chives

Scrambled eggs, anyone? A member of the allium family, this popular herb has a subtle oniony flavour with a hint of garlic. Chives pair well with many dishes, from cream cheese to Asian cooking, and is also an attractive garnish!

3. Mint

Mint is the coolest of the culinary herbs. If you’re looking to herbs for cooking – look no further than this little treasure for cooling. Mint has a subtly sweet flavour that has a cooling effect due to the menthol in the herb. It’s popular in Vietnamese rice paper rolls, stir-fries and is an excellent addition to tea in dried form.

4. Parsley

Parsley is a common herb in Middle Eastern dishes and as a garnish in soups, stews, dips. It’s well known for its fresh flavour, splash of colour and versatility. There are two main types of parsley, including French (curly leaf) and Italian (flat leaf). Parsley has a fresh, clean taste with a hint of pepper and citrus.

5. Coriander

You’ve probably heard that you’re either a lover or a hater when it comes to coriander, most likely due to its unique and powerful flavour. It’s also one of the oldest herbs and spices on record, dating back to 5000 BC. Coriander is a popular addition to many dishes, including stir-fries, curries, salads, soups, and Thai fish cakes (yum)!

6. Rosemary

Rosemary is a popular herb in Mediterranean cooking and grows wildly in Greece. Its’ a strong herb used to flavour meats and vegetables, so use sparingly in everything from roasts to soups, pasta sauces and even breads. It can be used as a whole sprig to flavour meals while cooking or chopped finely as an ingredient in many dishes.

7. Thyme

Thyme has a distinctive earthy, minty and slightly lemony flavour that pairs well with all kinds of meat, poultry, fish, stews, soups, pastas and vegetables. While there are over a hundred varieties of thyme, the most common varieties include common thyme and lemon thyme.

8. Oregano

Some of the most popular uses of oregano include the humble tomato – think pizza sauces and rich pasta dishes – but it’s also used in olive oils, Italian vinaigrettes and marinades for chicken, lamb and beef dishes.

9. Dill

While dill is used primarily as a garnish, it’s also useful to add flavour to fish, soups, dressings and salads. But the longer it’s cooked, the less flavoursome it becomes so add it at the end of cooking.

10. Tarragon

This anise-flavoured herb is perfect in soups, salads, egg dishes, stews and paired with soft cheese! Tarragon is also a wonderful addition to lamb, fish, steak and vegetables!

 

Gain the knowledge and skills required to improve your culinary prowess, learn how to use herbs in cooking with our online cooking course, the Certificate of Culinary Herbs!