Use This Game-Changing Trick To Remove Thyme Leaves From The Stem With Ease: It's A Real Thyme Saver!
If you've ever cooked with fresh thyme, you know how difficult it can be to remove all those little leaves. They're so small, and there are so many that it's a pain to pluck them off individually whenever we want to use thyme to upgrade soup or other dishes, so any way to make it easier is very welcome. Fortunately for us, the internet is chock-full of cooking hacks for purposes just such as these, like one from the TikTok of chef Tim McLaughlin.
In the video, McLaughlin prepares thyme by rolling it with his hand over a wire rack positioned above a pan waiting below. This simple step removes the leaves from the stem and deposits them into the pan. It's incredibly quick and easy, making this trick an amazing time-saver if you're looking to transform a sandwich with some tasty herbs, upgrade a cocktail, or season roasted meat.
@chefculinarywarrior Do you have no time to clean thyme!?? Check out this quick way to clean thyme!! Just roll it back and forth on a resting rack and ta-da! You've got to try it!!! #thyme #cheftip #kitchentip #chef #timesaver #bbq #txbbq #foodie #chefsoftiktok #protip @Crossbuckbbq
And it's not just thyme that works well here. This hack could theoretically come into play for almost any whole herb with many little leaves, like rosemary or tarragon, perhaps. So, if your dinner prep is a slog, try it out for yourself. You might just find that this extra step opens up a whole new world of seasonings.
How to really save thyme with this hack
Before you start grating thyme to help elevate some store-bought pasta sauce, there are a couple of things to keep in mind to ensure it's effective. Firstly, always use a clean rack. If you use your wire rack for something else and then use it to grate thyme without scrubbing it in between, the residue from previous dishes can mix with the thyme and give it flavors and odors you don't want. In the same vein, wash the rack immediately after using it for this herb. Like other popular seasonings, thyme contains oils that can coat the rack and transfer its signature strong taste and scent to whatever you cook with it next.
Also, the effectiveness of this hack may vary depending on the freshness of your thyme. Fresher herbs can be more strongly attached to a stem and may not be as easy to separate as drier specimens, which are more brittle and come off the stem easier. Consider letting your thyme dry out before using this hack. It can even make your dish more flavorful, since dried herbs are more concentrated, as we learned when discussing how to substitute dried for fresh herbs.