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When washing herbs like cilantro or parsley, is it best to wait until it is dry before chopping. I blot with paper towel but wondered if it is better to shake, spin, or air dry?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Eric Wynkoop - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

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This event was on May 23, 2023

Join Chef Eric Wynkoop in his virtual office as he welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to Ask Anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Eric is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Carolyn Harrelson

When washing herbs like cilantro or parsley, is it best to wait until it is dry before chopping. I blot with paper towel but wondered if it is better to shake, spin, or air dry?

Answer

I think that it really depends on what you wanna do with that product. Okay? Uh, if the, if the item is going directly into, uh, the food, uh, the, the dish that you've made and it's being folded in or, or stirred in, then it doesn't matter, uh, if it's wet, uh, when, uh, when it's chopped. Uh, on the other hand, if you're using these items as a garnish, then, uh, to dry the product will yield herbs that are lighter and fluffier and less likely to clump together, and they will look more attractive, uh, when used as a garnish. And, um, the drying process, uh, I think can follow different paths as you have suggested, whether it's, uh, shaking 'em off, um, or using a salad spinner, uh, or simply letting them, uh, sit out to air dry. Um, but, uh, those are the two broad scenarios that come to mind, um, that would dictate, um, the need to dry or not. Thank you.

Eric Wynkoop

Director of Culinary Instruction

Eric Wynkoop previously served as a founding faculty member at The International Culinary School, instructor in anthropology at Portland State University, and Senior Instructor at the Le Cordon Bleu program at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. He holds Master’s Degrees in postsecondary education and cultural anthropology, as well as credentials in Ayurveda wellness and cooking. Eric has spent more than twenty years in the food and beverage industry. His experiences include banquet management, catering, personal chef, winery cellar hand, educator, textbook contributor, consultant, and ethnographer. He also brings food and cultural insight from nearly a decade of residence in Japan, studies in Mexico, and research in India as a Fulbright Scholar. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a dual degree in Japanese and Asian Studies, he went on to receive his formal culinary training at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. Eric’s role with Rouxbe is central to enhancing the student experience through quality course content and new course development at Rouxbe. Eric is also the lead instructor in Rouxbe courses, a role which he has enjoyed since 2016.