FreshPoint

Description:

Oregano (O. vulgare L.), can be found commonly in Italian, Greek, and Mexican cuisine.

Oregano’s leaves are bright green with a spicy, pungent flavor, reminiscent of pine. As with most herbs, only a small quantity is needed. You can strip the leaves from the stems and use them, or you can use the entire herb in cooking, as the stems are soft. Some herbs don’t stand up well to cooking, but Oregano is generally used early in the cooking process to flavor soups, stocks, stews, and is also scattered in the pan when roasting vegetables or poultry.

One way to mitigate food waste is to use the stems after stripping the leaves in dressings or infused vinegars. Another is, if you are unable to use them before they go bad, blend them with oil and store them in the freezer for later use.

Recommended Storage

The recommended optimum storage temperature is 32° – 40°F. Keep them covered, they are susceptible to wilting when allowed to dehydrate. With the exception of oregano and basil, we recommend you store all herbs in the coldest part of your cooler. For oregano, we recommend you store them in the middle of your cooler where the temperature is moderate. If kept too cold, the leaves will turn dark. The temperature fluctuates from the front to the back of the cooler due to the location of the cooling unit and frequency of the door being opened. Download our PDF for more cooler storage hints.

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