It’s no secret that the best flavor comes from fresh ingredients, but did you know fresh ingredients also provide the most nutrition? Herbs and spices are no exception to this rule. While jars of dried herbs can add a lot of flavor to a meal, fresh herbs elevate that taste while also adding nutritional benefits that the herbs lose over time. The frozen herbs by Dorot Gardens are flash-frozen while fresh, allowing them to retain their valuable nutrients. They are then packaged in innovative pans of pre-portioned cubes that can be simply popped out and into your food.
With a two-year shelf life, Dorot Gardens enables you to enjoy the freshness of your favorite herbs, even when they’re out of season. The lineup currently includes flash-frozen Garlic, Onion, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Dill, Ginger, and Turmeric – all of which are vegan, kosher, halal, non-GMO, and free from gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, and artificial preservatives and ingredients.
What health benefits can you add to your food by using fresh herbs? Here is a breakdown of the benefits of each of the flash-frozen herbs in the Dorot Gardens lineup:
- Garlic – Garlic is known to boost your immune system, improve digestion, replace ‘bad’ cholesterol with ‘good’ cholesterol, boost athletic performance and stamina, reduce blood pressure, improve memory, help prevent cancer, and provide natural antioxidants which can help with inflammation and more.
- Onion – Onions can naturally help regulate blood sugar, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support bone health, and provide lots of vitamin C which is great for immunity, as well as other nutrients such as potassium and manganese.
- Basil – Basil can help reduce inflammation, protect against diabetes and metabolic syndrome, improve digestion, promote cardiovascular health, provide antiseptic and antibacterial properties, detoxify the body, and more.
- Cilantro – Cilantro is a great source of nutrients including vitamins A, C, and K, which can help with bone health and immunity. It also contains antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation and improve heart and digestive health.
- Parsley – Parsley is able to naturally reduce risk of certain types of cancer, improve bone and eye health, and reduce bloating and blood pressure. It’s a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
- Dill – Dill is a natural analgesic and antidepressant, and is known to help lower cholesterol, reduce symptoms of epilepsy and diabetes, promote fertility, and prevent metabolic syndrome and candida.
- Ginger – Ginger is popular for aiding digestion and treating nausea, and can help aid weight loss, reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reduce menstrual pain, fight infection, and prevent cancer.
- Turmeric – Turmeric is known to ease symptoms of arthritis, promote heart health, prevent certain types of cancer, reduce pain and inflammation, improve skin health, lower cholesterol, and naturally fight the cold and flu.
One notable fan of Dorot Gardens is Chef George Duran, cookbook author and host of shows including Food Network’s Ham on the Street, TLC’s The Ultimate Cake Off, and Good Morning America. George has been known for years for his cooking hacks and his unique twists on classic recipes, such as those included in his book Take This Dish and Twist It. He loves Dorot Gardens for the time and labor they save, but also for the amazing fresh flavor.
“With fresh herbs comes lots of elbow grease – think peeling and chopping garlic, trimming basil, cutting onions … it can be a lot,” George says. “Using Dorot Gardens cubes spares me the finger cramps from chopping and mincing, and the tears from cutting onions – not to mention the valuable time I could be spending with my family instead!”
Keep reading for celebrity chef George Duran’s top 10 hacks using Dorot Gardens:
- Quick-Fry Garlic: pop a couple Dorot Gardens garlic cubes in a bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil and microwave it for about a minute and a half on high. You’ll instantly get gently “fried” minced garlic for your recipes.
- Herbed Hummus: add cubes of Dorot Gardens parsley and garlic directly into the food processor before processing hummus to get a delicious, herbed twist on hummus.
- Instant Herbed Butter: allow your favorite Dorot Gardens herbs to become room temperature in a bowl and mix it in with a stick of your favorite butter (room temperature). Then roll into a tube with wax paper and place back in the refrigerator for instant herbed compound butter.
Image credit: istockphoto.com/portfolio/angelikaheine - Garlic Bread “Bombs”: add grated cheese and a cube of Dorot Gardens garlic and parsley in the center of a biscuit dough and roll it into a ball. Bake in oven and serve your Cheesy Garlic Bread Bombs!
- Pasta Ready: add an instant burst of herbs to any boiled pasta with a cube of Dorot Gardens herb (of your choice), butter and grated parmesan cheese.
- Herbed Rice or Couscous: need to bring your rice game to another level? Simply add Dorot Gardens herb cubes to your rice or couscous once it’s done cooking. Mix and serve!
- Bread Dip Anyone?: add Dorot Gardens garlic and herbs with some olive oil in your microwave until fully melted, about a minute. Then add some grated parmesan and serve with fresh crusty bread as a dip.
- Instant Herbed Vinaigrette: in a jar, combine your favorite Dorot Gardens herbs with olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Shake hard until emulsified. Serve on your favorite salad.
- Roasted Herbed Potatoes: add Dorot Gardens Garlic and Herb cubes to your bowl of raw potatoes and olive oil. Once the cubes thaw, mix everything up and roast for an instant herb and garlicky potato side dish.
- Burst of Herbs on a Steak: place a cube of Dorot Gardens herb directly on a piece of hot steak and allow it to melt slowly throughout. Your steaks have never tasted so good!
George Duran’s hacks are just the beginning of the endless possibilities with Dorot Gardens frozen herbs! They also have some great recipes and interesting information on their website (www.dorotgardens.com) and their Facebook and Instagram pages (@DorotGardens on both). Dorot Gardens can be found in the frozen veggie sections of grocery stores including Walmart, Kroger, Albertson’s, Safeway, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. To find a location near you, check their store locator tool at www.dorotgardens.com/wheretofind.