About the Fresh to Dried Herb Converter
This fresh to dried herb converter tells you how much dried or ground herb to use when a recipe calls for fresh — or how much fresh to buy when it calls for dried. Choose the herb, enter the amount and pick the form you have and the form you want, and it gives the equivalent in teaspoons, tablespoons or cups, along with a table and chart comparing all three forms.
Drying removes water and concentrates flavour, so you need less. The standard rule used by spice companies and test kitchens is 3 to 1: one tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs equals one teaspoon of dried leaves. Ground herbs are more concentrated still, so use about half as much ground as dried leaf. Ginger and garlic follow their own ratios — one tablespoon of grated fresh ginger is about ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, and one medium garlic clove equals about ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder or ½ teaspoon of dried minced garlic.
These are starting points. Dried herbs lose strength after about a year, some herbs (basil, cilantro, chives, parsley) lose much of their character when dried, and woody herbs like rosemary and thyme dry well. Add dried herbs early in cooking so they rehydrate, add fresh tender herbs near the end, then taste and adjust.
How to use the fresh to dried herb converter
- 1Choose the herb or spice.
- 2Enter the amount and unit from your recipe.
- 3Pick the form the recipe uses and the form you have.
- 4Use the converted amount, then taste and adjust near the end of cooking.
Formula and method
Every amount is first converted to its fresh equivalent, then into the target form. For leafy herbs the factor is 1 for fresh, ⅓ for dried leaves (the 3:1 rule — 1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried) and ⅙ for ground, since ground herbs are roughly twice as strong as whole dried leaves.
Ginger uses 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of grated fresh ginger = ¼ teaspoon ground, a factor of 1⁄12. Garlic is counted in cloves: one medium clove ≈ ½ teaspoon dried minced garlic ≈ ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder. Spoon sizes are US: 3 teaspoons per tablespoon and 48 per cup.
- f(form)
- Amount of that form equal to 1 unit of fresh
- amount
- Quantity entered, converted to teaspoons (cloves for fresh garlic)
Worked examples
1 tablespoon fresh basil to dried
One tablespoon is 3 teaspoons of fresh basil; at 3:1 that is 1 teaspoon of dried basil.
2 teaspoons dried thyme to fresh
Two teaspoons of dried thyme equal 6 teaspoons — 2 tablespoons — of fresh thyme leaves.
4 garlic cloves to garlic powder
At ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove, 4 cloves equal ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ratio of fresh to dried herbs?+
Use three times as much fresh as dried: 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dried. Going the other way, 1 teaspoon of dried replaces 1 tablespoon of fresh.
How much garlic powder equals one clove?+
About ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder, or ½ teaspoon of dried minced garlic, equals one medium fresh clove. Garlic powder burns easily, so add it to liquids or sauces rather than a hot dry pan.
How much ground ginger equals fresh ginger?+
One tablespoon of freshly grated ginger is roughly ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger. Ground ginger is warmer and less zesty, so it is best in baking, rubs and slow-cooked dishes.
Is ground thyme stronger than dried thyme leaves?+
Yes. Grinding breaks open the leaves, so ground herbs release flavour faster and are about twice as strong. Use roughly half as much ground herb as dried leaves.
When should I add dried vs fresh herbs?+
Add dried herbs early so they rehydrate and release flavour during cooking. Add tender fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and cilantro at the end; hardy fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme can go in earlier.