Bouquet Garni

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yesterday I was following a recipe (in the vague sense that I usually follow such recipes) for making onion soup when I came across instructions to tie my herbs together for removal at the end of cooking. Lacking the option, at least easily, to tie them together I ended up chopping them and adding them to the dish but it left me thinking back to the '80s and the days when bouquet garni were rather more common and you could purchase them in dried form like a tea bag to add and extract. I don't know when or why they became less commonly used, perhaps it was just me leaving home but I don't actually think I can recall having used one since then. So I was left wondering when other members last used one in the conventional sense (tieing the herbs together for removal or actually using a tea bag style one of dried herbs)?

 

[Herbie]

I remember this too. I've not used them since leaving home 25 years ago.

 

[Morning Glory]

You can still buy the tea-bag type. I do tie them together sometimes when I want a clearer stock as they can go unpleasantly 'black' and bitty if you do a long cook.

 

[medtran49]

Not frequently, but now and again. Last time was when I was making stock for pho or something similar. I use butcher's twine that we have to tie up roasts or stuffed chicken or whatever. They do sell over size stainless tea balls for bouquet garni. I saw one on 1 of the cooking shows and have looked at them on Amazon. Might get eventually.

 

[CraigC]

I used to get gum in these little cloth bags. My oma would use them for her pickling spices when she made sauerbraten. Don't remember where we found them, but we were able to buy the bags. They have drawstrings to close them. Don't see why they wouldn't work for the herbs instead of butcher's twine.

 

[medtran49]

I used to get gum in these little cloth bags. My oma would use them for her pickling spices when she made sauerbraten. Don't remember where we found them, but we were able to buy the bags. They have drawstrings to close them. Don't see why they wouldn't work for the herbs instead of butcher's twine.

Amazon dear. Cotton muslin bags.

 

[Herbie]

I asked mother this morning and she remembers, as I do, using them in a casserole, but does not remember when of why we stopped.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Cotton muslin bags.

When I used to brew my own beer, these would be standard practice for introducing the flavor of grains and such to the wort (the brewing liquid). I always liked the idea when it came to cooking things: trying to fish out the bay leaves when making a soup is always a challenge, and it only gets more challenging when adding things like thyme sprigs.

 

[epicuric]

We use these during the winter when fresh herbs are scarce. This year I am going to have a go at making my own.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

View attachment 28082
We use these during the winter when fresh herbs are scarce. This year I am going to have a go at making my own.

I just freeze my excess fresh herbs during the summer. Always pick extra and add it to the freezer bag with said herb in it. Just goes straight in. Leaves will fall off things like thyme, saves a lot of effort. Parsley I'll either freeze chopped or whole depending on if I chopped too much or not. Only one I've never done is basil. Everything else herb, ginger and garlic wise (and chilies) I'll happily freeze .

 

[rascal]

I put my herbs or spices in a muslin bag and tie it up.

Russ

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

in a muslin bag

I probably need something smaller than the 5L size ones I have currently