If you cook more at home, you might be wondering how much a sprig of fresh thyme costs to dried thyme. As you may need to substitute one for the other depending on what you have on hand.
This is a common question because many home cooks may need to substitute certain ingredients. Especially when a recipe calls for fresh thyme but you only have dried thyme on hand.
You usually won’t be able to substitute different ingredients for the same amount that the recipe calls for, as this could change the flavor depending on how strong or weak the ingredient you use is compared to the original ingredient.
Because of this, it’s important to know how to convert fresh ingredients into dry ingredients when needed. Especially since it’s more common to have dry herbs on hand than fresh herbs.
Read on to find out how much a sprig of fresh thyme costs for dried thyme and how to measure it.
How much dry thyme is equivalent to one sprig of fresh thyme?
If you’re trying to substitute dry thyme for fresh thyme in a recipe, you might be wondering how to do it. To roughly estimate the amount, you need about six sprigs of fresh thyme for 3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme.
This is mainly because dry thyme has a much more concentrated flavor, so you’ll need to use less of it. While fresh time is much lighter in flavor and won’t be nearly as overwhelming.
Because of this, it’s important to get your measurements right when substituting one for the other. Because both cannot be easily replaced by the same amount as they have different flavor strengths.
You can also measure this as six sprigs of fresh thyme, which add up to 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme. So if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, you must use 3/4 teaspoon of dry thyme instead.
These measurements will give you the right amount of this herb for the recipe you are preparing. However, you can adjust it if you personally know how much time you want to spend in a dish, or if you want to use less of it.
How many teaspoons of dried thyme equal two sprigs of fresh thyme?
If you’re cooking a recipe that calls for two sprigs of fresh thyme, you may not know how to substitute that amount. This is a fairly short time, but a common measurement as many recipes don’t call for very much of this herb.
So if you see a recipe that calls for two sprigs of fresh thyme but only has drying time, you need to figure out the measurements. Two sprigs of fresh thyme is equivalent to about 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme or slightly less.
You can either measure out a small 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme to replace the fresh thyme. Or, alternatively, you can measure out a large 1/8 teaspoon of dry thyme as a substitute.
Fresh and dry thyme are both good options
If you’re fairly new to the kitchen, you might be wondering what the differences are between fresh and dried thyme. Especially since you can’t use them interchangeably in equal amounts.
Despite being the same herb, they have gone through different processes to result in different flavor strengths. They have some differences when it comes to what they add to a recipe, which is why you need to measure them differently.
Here are some things that differentiate dry and fresh thyme when cooking.
taste
The taste of fresh thyme will be light and fresh. It has a much fresher and livelier flavor than dry thyme as it has not gone through the drying process to be preserved p
While dry thyme will have a much more intense flavor that could easily overwhelm a dish. It is also slightly more bitter and pungent than the taste of fresh thyme due to the drying process.
So be careful when substituting dry thyme for fresh thyme as the flavor profile is slightly different.
Strength
The flavor strength you get from both fresh and dry thyme will be very different. This is true of any type of dried herb, as the drying process condenses the flavor and creates a much stronger tasting herb.
This is the main reason why you need to be careful when measuring and avoid substituting equal parts for fresh or dry thyme. As this throws off the recipe and can result in you not tasting the herb at all or it being way too overwhelming.
durability
The shelf life of dry and fresh thyme is very different as one is preserved and the other is not. Fresh thyme can often last up to two weeks in the refrigerator without wilting too much, but it won’t last much longer.
While thyme that has been properly dried and stored can last a year or more without losing too much of its flavor.
Final Thoughts
If you’re trying to substitute dry thaw for fresh thyme, you need to know that six sprigs of fresh thyme yields 3/4 teaspoon of dry thyme. This will help you figure out what kind of measurements you should have when substituting one for the other.
Since you cannot replace them with equal parts, since dry and fresh time have different flavor intensities.
