The Must-Have Kitchen Tool That Makes Prepping Herbs So Much Easier
There is no comparison between fresh and dried herbs. In raw meals such as salads, dressings, pesto, and garnishes, fresh herbs are indispensable. They have a superior flavor and taste than their dry counterparts. Their main disadvantage is a lack of preparation. Dried herbs are ready to use, but fresh herbs must be washed, stripped, and chopped. Depending on the herb, this process might be highly time-consuming.
If you enjoy utilizing fresh herbs, meet the herb remover, an underutilized tool that can help you prepare them faster.Herb strippers, as the name implies, aid in the removal of leaves from stems. They have varied sized holes to accommodate different herbs. Simply insert the stem into the tiniest hole it will fit into and drag it through until all the leaves fall off. Some strippers have large enough holes to remove kale or other green crops.
Some models may also have a blade, allowing you to strip and chop herbs with the same tool. Others have attached bowls to catch the leaves as they pass through the openings. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way people cook with fresh herbs. After seeing how rapidly the stripper works, they may be inspired to use herbs more frequently. It may even inspire home chefs to try different herbs for the first time. So here are some pointers to keep in mind.
herb stripping bowl
To begin, immediately wash and dry any fresh herbs you purchase to remove any pests or dirt. Wrap the herbs in paper towels and place them in sealable bags. The paper towels will help keep the herbs fresh, but use them within a few days to get the most flavor out of them. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to appreciate their distinct tastes. Basil is one of the most popular herbs, possibly because of its sweet and somewhat spicy flavor. It is widely used in Mediterranean recipes, but it can also be used in other cuisines.
Not to mention that it’s the most commonly used herb in pesto. If you want to get the most out of your basil, add the leaves (not the stems) near the end of the cooking process, whether you’re making fish, chicken, or a homemade pasta sauce. Rosemary is a difficult plant to prepare, making it ideal for the herb remover. However, the leaves have a fantastic woody and pine-likе flavor. This makes it ideal for dishes such as lamb chops, poultry, roast beef, and roasted potatoes. It’s also great on flatbread, sweet potato fries, and even cake.
Cilantro, often known as the coriander leaf, is a contentious herb. Some individuals enjoy the bright and zesty flavor, while others claim that it tastes likе soap. However, it is a common ingredient in Asian and Latin American cuisine. Cilantro is wonderful both raw and cooked, and it is flavorful without being overbearing. Dill – Dill is a frequent ingredient in German and Scandinavian cuisine. It has a delicate flavor that is robust, fresh, and earthy. It goes well with a variety of cuisines, including poultry, yogurt, shellfish, salad, soup, and egg dishes such as quiche.
Marjoram – Marjoram has a softer flavor than oregano but is nonetheless potent. It goes well with vegetables and meat, but it can also be used to flavor salads, soups, sauces, fish, and other dishes. While the leaves are used in these dishes, keep the stems to enhance the flavor of a stock or soup. Thyme – Thyme can be found in French cuisine. Its floral scent and powerful flavor complement foods without overpowering other ingredients. A herb remover, likе rosemary, can make thyme preparation a breeze. It goes well with roast chicken, bread, potatoes, and cocktails.
Mint – While many people associate mint with drinks and pastries, there are plenty other ways to enjoy this herb. It goes well with salads, poultry, curries, and sandwiches. It can also be used to dress up a fruit salad. Parsley – Because of its fresh and delicate flavor, parsley is another useful and popular herb. While the leaves are the most effective, the stems can also be used in cooking. Use it as a garnish to season soups or to dress up salads. The possibilities are nearly limitless, but parsley pairs particularly well with pasta, butter, eggs, and lemon.
Oregano has a strong taste that is necessary in recipes such as chili pasta and pizza sauces. Unlikе herbs likе basil, oregano can resist heat, so use it at the start of the cooking process. However, use oregano sparingly so that it does not overpower the other ingredients. Save the stems to flavor stocks and soups.
The HOA President Fined Me Over My Lawn – I Provided Him with More Reasons to Pay Attention
Larry, our clipboard-wielding HOA dictator, had no idea who he was messing with when he fined me for my lawn being half an inch too long. I decided to give him something to really look at, a lawn so outrageous, yet so perfectly within the rules, that he’d regret ever starting this fight.
For decades, my neighborhood was the kind of place where you could sip tea on your porch in peace, wave to the neighbors, and not worry about a thing.
Then Larry got his grubby hands on the HOA presidency.
Oh, Larry. You know the type: mid-50s, born in a pressed polo shirt, thinks the world revolves around his clipboard. From the moment he took office, it was like someone handed him the keys to a kingdom.
Or at least, that’s what he thought.
Now, I’ve been living here for twenty-five years. Raised three kids in this house. Buried a husband too. And you know what I’d learned?
Don’t mess with a woman who’s survived kids and a man who thought barbeque sauce was a vegetable. Larry clearly didn’t get that memo.
Ever since I skipped his precious HOA meeting last summer, he’s been out for blood. Like I needed to hear two hours of droning on about fence heights and paint colors. I had more important things to do — like watching my begonias bloom.
It all started last week.
I was out on the porch, minding my business, when I spotted Larry marching up the driveway, clipboard in hand.
“Oh, here we go,” I muttered, already feeling my blood pressure spike.
He stopped right at the foot of the steps, and didn’t even bother with a hello.
“Mrs. Pearson,” he began, his voice dripping with condescension. “I’m afraid you’ve violated the HOA’s lawn maintenance standards.”
I blinked at him, trying to keep my temper in check. “Is that so? The lawn’s been freshly mowed. Just did it two days ago.”
“Well,” he said, clicking his pen like he was about to write me up for a felony, “it’s half an inch too long. HOA standards are very clear about this.”
I stared at him. Half. An. Inch. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
His smug little grin told me otherwise.
“We have standards here, Mrs. Pearson. If we let one person get away with neglecting their lawn, what kind of message does that send?”
Oh, I could’ve throttled him right there. But I didn’t. Instead, I just smiled sweetly and said, “Thanks for the heads-up, Larry. I’ll be sure to trim that extra half-inch for you.”
Inside, though? I was fuming. Who did this guy think he was? Half an inch?
I’ve survived diaper blowouts, PTA meetings, and a husband who once tried to roast marshmallows using a propane torch. I wasn’t about to let Larry the Clipboard King push me around.
That night, I sat in my armchair, stewing over the whole thing. I thought about all the times in my life I’d been told to “follow the rules,” and how I’d managed to bend them just enough to keep my sanity.
If Larry wanted to play hardball, fine. Two could play that game.
And then it hit me: the HOA rulebook. That stupid, dusty old thing Larry was always quoting. I hadn’t bothered with it much over the years, but now it was time to get acquainted.
I flipped through it for a good hour, and there it was. Clear as day. Lawn decorations, tasteful, of course, were completely allowed, as long as they stayed within certain size and placement guidelines.
Oh, Larry. You poor, unfortunate soul. You had no idea what you’d just unleashed.
The very next morning, I went on the shopping spree of a lifetime. It was glorious. I bought gnomes. Not just any gnomes, though, giant ones. One was holding a lantern, another was fishing in a little fake pond I set up in the garden.
And an entire flock of pink, plastic flamingos. I clustered them together like they were planning some sort of tropical rebellion.
Then came the solar lights. I lined the walkway, the garden, and even hung a few in the trees. By the time I was done, my yard looked like a cross between a fairy tale and a Florida souvenir shop.
And the best part? Every single piece was perfectly HOA-compliant. Not a single rule was broken. I leaned back in my lawn chair, watching the sun set behind my masterpiece.
The twinkling lights came to life, casting a warm glow over my gnome army and the flamingo brigade. It was, in a word, glorious.
But Larry, oh Larry, was not going to take this lying down.
The first time he saw my yard, I knew I had him. I was watering the petunias when I spotted his car creeping down the street. His windows rolled down, his eyes narrowing as they scanned every inch of my lawn.
The way his jaw clenched, his fingers tight on the steering wheel — it was priceless. He slowed to a crawl, staring at the gnome with the margarita, lounging in his lawn chair like he didn’t have a care in the world.
I gave Larry a little wave, extra sweet, as if I didn’t know I’d just declared war.
He stared at me, his face turning the color of a sunburned tomato, and then, without a word, he sped off.
I let out a laugh so loud it startled a squirrel in the oak tree. “That’s right, Larry. You can’t touch this.”
For a few days, I thought maybe, just maybe, he’d let it go. Silly me. A week later, there he was again, stomping up to my door with that clipboard, wearing his HOA President badge like he’d been knighted.
“Mrs. Pearson,” he began, not even bothering with pleasantries, “I’ve come to inform you that your mailbox violates HOA standards.”
I blinked at him. “The mailbox?” I tilted my head toward it. “Larry, I just painted that thing two months ago. It’s pristine.”
He squinted at it like he’d found some imaginary flaw. “The paint is chipping,” he insisted, scribbling something on his clipboard.
I glanced at the mailbox again. Not a chip in sight. But I knew this wasn’t about the mailbox. This was personal.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “All this over half an inch of grass?”
“I’m just enforcing the rules,” Larry said, but the look in his eyes told a different story.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Sure, Larry. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
He turned on his heel and strutted back to his car like he’d just delivered some life-altering decree. I watched him go, fury bubbling up inside me. Oh, he thought he could win this? Fine. Let the games begin.
That night, I hatched a plan. If Larry wanted a fight, he was going to get one. I spent the next morning back at the garden store, loading up on more gnomes, more flamingos, and just for fun, a motion-activated sprinkler system.
By the time I was done, my yard looked like a carnival of absurdity. Gnomes of all sizes stood proudly in formation, some fishing, some holding tiny shovels, and one, my new favorite, lounging in a hammock with a miniature beer in hand.
The flamingos? They’d formed their own pink plastic army, marching across the lawn with solar lights guiding their way.
But the pièce de résistance? The sprinkler system. Every time Larry came by to inspect my yard, the motion sensor would activate, spraying water in every direction. Totally by accident, of course.
The first time it happened, I nearly fell off the porch laughing.
Larry pulled up, clipboard ready, only to be met with a stream of water straight to the face. He spluttered, waving his arms like a drowning cat, and retreated to his car, soaked to the bone.
The look of pure outrage on his face was worth every penny I’d spent.
But the best part? The neighbors started to notice.
One by one, they began stopping by to compliment my “creative flair.”
Mrs. Johnson from three houses down said she loved the “whimsical” atmosphere. Mr. Thompson chuckled, saying he hadn’t seen Larry so flustered in years. And soon, it wasn’t just compliments. The neighbors started putting up their own lawn decorations.
It began with a few garden gnomes, but soon, flamingos popped up all over the cul-de-sac, twinkling lights appeared in every yard, and someone even set up a miniature windmill.
Larry couldn’t keep up.
His clipboard became a joke. The once-feared fines became a badge of honor among the residents, and the more he tried to tighten his grip, the more the neighborhood slipped through his fingers.
Every day, Larry had to drive past our gnomes, our flamingos, and our lights, knowing full well that we’d beaten him at his own game.
And me? I watched the chaos unfold with a smile on my face.
The whole neighborhood had come together, united by lawn ornaments and sheer spite. And Larry, poor Larry, was left powerless, just a man with a soggy clipboard and no authority to back it up.
So, Larry, if you’re reading this, keep on looking. I’ve got plenty more ideas where these came from.
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