The Gluten-Free Homemaker

mince 
- verb (used with object)
1. to cut or chop into very small pieces
(dictionary.com)



It’s been a while since I’ve done a Tools of the Trade post.  With many people bringing in lots of basil from their gardens, I thought I would talk about the herb mincer.  I have the Oxo Good Grips Herb Mincer  pictured here, but there are many others to choose from. 

I wouldn’t say that an herb mincer is an essential kitchen item.  I got by for many years using a knife or scissors.  However, if you use a lot of fresh leafy herbs like basil or parsley, a mincer is definitely a handy tool to have.



The reason we mince herbs before cooking is to help release their flavors and distribute them in the food we are preparing.  Cutting the herb accomplishes this, but crushing it also releases flavor.  When I use my herb mincer I get more crushing than I do with scissors. 

The white edge you see at the top of the mincer above is used for scraping the pieces of herb together in a pile on your cutting board.  I scrape them together, then roll over them which results in some cutting and some crushing.

The thing I don’t like about this type of mincer is that some of the herb pieces get stuck on the blades and are difficult to get off.  The mincer comes apart and can be washed in the dishwasher, where it comes clean, but when I’m mincing an herb, I want all the pieces to go in the food! 

I’m curious.  What do you use to mince herbs?

For more helpful tips check out Works for Me Wednesday.

Labels: tools of the trade