How to Use Thyme
The Herb of Courage
Herbaceous · Savory · Earthy · Pungent
With notes of pine, mint, and subtle lemon, a simple sprig of thyme weaves beautifully through roasts, soups, stews, and sauces. Feel free to experiment with it to find your favorite pairings.
FORMS
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Fresh: Slender woody stems lined with tiny grey-green leaves, fresh thyme is intensely aromatic when rubbed between the fingers. The scent is warm and herbaceous with minty and floral undertones. The herb is unusually versatile: sturdy enough for long cooking and bright enough to sprinkle at the end.
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Dried: Thyme dries better than most herbs, turning earthier and more pungent with less of its green brightness. Use about ⅓ the volume of dried in place of fresh. Buy whole leaves rather than ground, which turns musty fast, and if you do use ground, cut the quantity by a quarter again.
STORAGE
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Fresh: Thyme is one of the hardiest fresh herbs due to its low moisture and small, waxy leaves. Wrapped loosely in a slightly damp paper towel and bagged in the fridge, whole fresh sprigs will be good for 2-3 weeks. Don't wash them first: the paper towel supplies the humidity they need. Water sitting on the leaves will bring mold to the woody stems.
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Dried: Stored airtight away from heat, light, and moisture, dried thyme will hold its flavor for 1-2 years. As it gets older, crush a pinch between your fingers. It should smell warm and faintly medicinal. A flat, dried-grass aroma, or little to none at all, means replace it.
PREPARATION
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Stripping Leaves: Hold the top of the sprig and run your fingers down it against the direction of growth. The leaves will come off cleanly in seconds. They are small enough that chopping is rarely needed. If you do, for something like a compound butter or dressing, run a sharp knife through them briefly. Thyme gives up its oils readily and needs none of the aggressive mincing that rosemary or sage does.
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Infusing: The stems are too woody to eat but useful in the pot. In long-cooked dishes, the leaves fall off by themselves. You can just drop whole sprigs into stocks, soups, or braising liquids at the start and fish out the bare stems at the end.
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Drying Your Own: Thyme is among the easiest herbs to dry well. Bundle the stems, hang them upside down somewhere dark and airy, and leave them for 1-2 weeks until the leaves can crumble.
COOKING
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The Foundation Builder: Thyme deepens other flavors without asserting itself, which is why it's so popular in stocks, soups, braises, and sauces across Europe. It is one of three constants in bouquet garni, and it forms the aromatic spine of beef bourguignon, coq au vin, cassoulet, and pot roast.
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Meats, Poultry, and Seafood: It has an almost universal affinity for protein: roast chicken, lamb in marinades, beef in braises and pan sauces, pork, and game. Lighter herbs would vanish. For seafood, lemon thyme is often the best variety to not overpower the delicate flavors of fish and shellfish.
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Vegetables and Legumes: Toss sprigs with oil over carrots, parsnips, potatoes, beets, or squash. It also deepens the savoriness of mushrooms, and it does more than almost any other single addition to a pot of beans or lentils.
