TIL I was wasting half my herbs by chopping them too early

I was prepping parsley for a big batch of chimichurri at the restaurant last Friday and my sous chef, Marco, pointed out my cutting board was wet. He said the herbs were leaking flavor and color because I was chopping them a full hour before service. Now I only cut them right before they go in the dish. Anyone else have a simple timing trick that changed a basic task?

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3 Comments

park.robin5mo ago

Oh man yeah it's a real thing. The second you cut herbs the flavor starts leaking out so timing matters way more than people think.

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milaprice5mo ago

Yeah, letting garlic sit for ten minutes before cooking really wakes it up.

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phoenix295mo ago

So you're saying @milaprice that it needs to sit to get the good stuff out? What happens if you chop it and throw it right in the pan, does it just taste weaker or is there a real science reason? I've heard this before but never knew if it was a real chef thing or just a kitchen myth people repeat.

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