Fresh thyme versus dried?

In my garden, there is German and English Thyme. This time of year, when the thyme get a little weathered, I start using dried which I buy from Penzey's. Frankly, I cannot tell much difference between the fresh and dried. The dried thyme smells very fragrant and tastes as expected in a recipe. What are your thoughts about the fresh versus dried?

[Jenise]

Wow are we different, Karen. I find a lot of similarity between the fresh and dried versions of some herbs, like dill and tarragon, but thyme? Fresh thyme and dried thyme are night and day different on my palate--so different they might as well be two different herbs--and for some things I prefer dried thyme over fresh even though I have fresh in the garden. I'm not sure if I can accurately describe what I would call the difference, but fresh is very potent and perfumey, and I love it in squash soups and under the skin of chickens. But I wouldn't use it in dirty rice, say, where dried tastes brushier and earthier, and I also prefer dried for bean soups.

Pretty much what Jenise said. I will also add that the fresh stuff on duck fat-roasted potatoes is just amazing. For roasting meat or potatoes, I'm a big fan of the fresh stuff - I find dried thyme goes better in stews/soups/slow cooked dishes.

I wonder if it has something to do with a more educated palate Jenise? Because of your travels and having lived and visited many different places in the world, you have a curiosity for the foods and flavors. Maybe I have not paid as much attention to the different levels of flavors as I might have. Then, too, I think my sense of taste may not be what it used to be even ten years ago. I know Gene has lost some of his sense of smell.
When you mentioned tarragon, it reminded me that I reach for the dried more than the fresh in my garden, as I seem to be able to taste the dried more. My tarragon comes up every year and grows very fast. I'm not sure how old the plant is that I have out there and maybe that has something to do with it. I now wonder if I should replace it every year.
Salil, yes I have found that the dried thyme goes better in stews and slow cooked dishes, and sometimes I add fresh herbs at the finish of a dish, as I seem to taste them better that way.

Karen, Penseys' dry thyme is French thyme; which in my opinion is absolutely the best of the bunch. Try growing it next year. Then I think you may like fresh better than dry.

Thanks I will look for it. Do you grow it from seed or plant?

If you grow thyme, there is absolutely no reason to buy it. You can easily dry a bunch of it. There is no difficulty. Just rinse the thyme stems and let them rest on a paper towel for a few days in a dry area. Once they are dried crisp, put them in an air-tight jar. Dry thyme is just fine for use in soups, sauteed veggies, roast chicken, etc.

Tarragon, basil, parsley, chives, and chervil are far superior when fresh. Oregano, marjoram, thyme and lavender retain their aromatic qualities reasonably well when dried.

Thanks I will look for it. Do you grow it from seed or plant?

Plants. Lost our's last winter even though we brought it in. Ordered too late to get some more this year, but won't forget to order early next year. The usual suspects in our garden will be on their own until next spring.

Something we do on occasion is to take our bikes to an old inn along the Delaware Valley. We often go with another couple, also in their sixties. Younger riders might like hilly terrain but we really enjoy the picturesque views along the canal tow-path which stretches for miles in both directions. And it's very flat. The general plan is to get exhausted from biking all day, and then eat a sumptuous meal with too much wine and collapse in a comfortable colonial-style bed and sleep late the next morning.

Hotel du Village. Formerly a religious girls' school. Has a pool and a restaurant that draws clients from the whole area.

http://www.hotelduvillage.com/

The chef made a leek and potato soup that was so striking and interesting that I managed to reproduce it at home. The key? Too Much Thyme. You make leek and potato soup with huge gobs of fresh thyme and it tastes really great. Try it.

[Jenise]

Tarragon, basil, parsley, chives, and chervil are far superior when fresh.

Absolutely agree. But the flavor of dried in these you name is very similar to that of fresh, amplified yes, better heck yes (why does anyone dry parsley?), but identifiable as what they are. Thyme I find quite different--I don't actually know that smelling fresh I could go to a jar of the French thyme I buy from Penzeys and make a positive ID.

Tarragon, basil, parsley, chives, and chervil are far superior when fresh.

Absolutely agree. But the flavor of dried in these you name is very similar to that of fresh, amplified yes, better heck yes (why does anyone dry parsley?), but identifiable as what they are. Thyme I find quite different--I don't actually know that smelling fresh I could go to a jar of the French thyme I buy from Penzeys and make a positive ID.

Disagree on tarragon. It has far better flavor when dry. As far a dry parsley is concerned I've pick up a habit. When making a sauce or stew calling for parsley, I prepare the amount of fresh parsley called for and set it aside. Then I put in 1/3d the amount dry to cook with the dish. When the dish is finished I stir in the fresh just before serving.