Do You Bother Washing Herbs For Cooking?

[RabbitsRock]

I’ve just made a sausage casserole with rosemary & thyme. The thyme was in a packet which said “ wash before use” & the rosemary’s growing in a pot on the kitchen windowsill. I put them in just as they were - what a rebel! Pretty sure the top chefs don’t wash herbs. Do you?

No

Yes

I wash virtually nothing and I’m still here…but more vigilant/less minging (depending on your degree of worry) if it’s to be eaten raw.

I wash nothing unless it has soil on it.

I think I would be more inclined to wash them if they were going to be eaten raw like in a salad. But if they're being cooked then I don't wash them. I doubt very many bugs survive being cooked.

All our herbs ( parsley rosemary, thyme , sage….etc) grow in our garden. We are regularly visited by cats, birds and squirrels. I wash the herbs.

I wouldn't copy 'top chefs' too much. First of all, how do you know their herbs etc haven't been pre-washed? Secondly, their handling of raw meat and use of thin cloths for ovens for eg often leaves much to be desired.

If you've grown the herbs and therefore know that dogs haven't cocked their legs over them then fine. Yes I do wash them,but I think you'll survive.

I wash ones I pick from the garden but not ones I buy in a plastic pack or grow on the windowsill.

I wash (dunk in water for a bit) ones from the garden in case of bugs. I wouldn't wash it from a pot on the window sill.

I probably wouldn't wash it from a packet, unless there was visible dirt in the packet - which does happen sometimes.

I don't wash fruit either. Or veg/salad unless it's visibly dirty.

If it's bought I do what the packet says, home grown in the greenhouse I don't wash, grown in the garden I usually do (unless it looks pristine) to wash off bugs and whatever else may have been there. From the garden you also have the luxury of picking the best undamaged bits.

Bought fruit and veg I always wash I dread to think what they have been drenched in to look so perfect, when the ones I grow more or less organically at home have lots of damage. I saw a film once of salad growing in a greenhouse in Europe in a mist of insecticide and fungicide I've washed everything bought ever since.

Of course not. I only wash fruit / veg if visibly dirty.

It's not the visible dirt that's the problem you want to try to remove any residue of the chemicals used to keep them pest and fungus free, unless you only buy truly organic.

Yes. I also wash the bags of pre-washed salad. And I don’t think TV chefs are that clean because you never see them wash leeks. I’ve never had a leek that wasn’t full of dirt/grit. On TV leeks are chopped up and chucked straight in the pan.

You’ll be fine

So you need specialist cleaning materials then. Not sure a quick rinse will help…