Parsley, dill, rosemary, coriander (cilantro), peppermint, oregano, basil, sweet marjoram, thyme, etc.
1. When only the flavor of the herb is needed
(peppermint in tea, dill in soup, etc.) there are several possibilities:
Method 1.
Wash the leaves and brew them. Filter the resulting essence through a cloth, filter paper, cottonwool, paper towel, etc. (Illustration 107), and use the essence. (The essence can be frozen in ice cube trays and used as needed.)
Method 2.
The leaves can be wrapped in a cloth bag, closed well, and added to the pot of food (Illustrations 108-112). After cooking, discard the leaves.
2. When you want to eat the leaves themselves:
Whole
Use only specially grown, bug-free herbs, grown under strict Kashrus supervision. Soak them in soapy water for three minutes and rinse well.
Ground
A. Inspect the leaves, looking for trails caused by leaf miners. Discard any leaves containing leaf miners (Illustration 280).
B. Soak the herbs in soapy water for three minutes (Illustration 281).
C. Take a few stalks at a time and rub the leaves with a sponge dipped in soapy water (Illustration 282).
D. Rinse thoroughly under a strong stream of running water. Continue the procedure until all the leaves have been cleaned (Illustration 283).
E. Then grind well in a blender or grinder (Illustration 284).
3. Dehydrated herbs
Dry the herbs in the sun or oven. Put them into a hermetically sealed jar and leave them for twelve months. (It’s a good idea to mark the jar with the date.) After twelve months, we no longer have to be concerned about the original bugs that were on the fresh herb. If the dried leaves are kept for a long time (not sealed hermetically), new infestation may develop, and they should be checked as explained below in paragraph 4.
4.Dehydrated herb flakes sold as a spice, such as parsley
Spread out on a white surface and check among the flakes for worms, bugs, or webbing. If infestation is found, do not use the product (Illustration 285).
[attr tag=”small”]Kashrus supervisors in industrial plants can check dehydrated herbs by using 95% alcohol. Place a sample of the herbs in a container with three times as much alcohol. Stir, and check to see whether insects float up. (It’s preferable to filter the upper part of the alcohol and inspect the filter paper with a magnifying glass.)[attr tag=”/small”]
5. Dehydrated herbs sold whole, or in large flakes, such as oregano
A. Strain the herbs in a strainer with medium-sized holes, such as a rice strainer, and examine the residue that falls out.
B. Spread out the herbs on a white surface and check through them for insects, worms, or sticky webbing (which sometimes causes the pieces of herb to clump together). If infestation is found, the product should not be used (Illustration 286).
