De-Stem Your Herbs In A Flash With The Box Grater Hack

We've all been there when a so-called 30-minute meal clocks in at closer to an hour. Oftentimes, our mistake lies in not reading the fine print. Was that onion already supposed to be diced? The garlic minced? That small sprig of thyme stripped? If, on busy weekdays, you struggle to remember Julia Child's most treasured cooking tips, specifically the rule of mise en place, we have a helpful hack for you. Useful for much more than just shredding cheese, that bulky box grater currently sitting in your cabinet can de-stem your herbs faster than Child said, "Bon appétit!"

Here's how it works. First, match the size of your herb to a corresponding side of a box grater, like this one from Kitchenaid. The herb should fit snugly through the grater's holes without getting stuck. Rosemary, with its thick, woody stem, moves like a dream through the biggest holes. The same goes for larger, leafy herbs like cilantro, parsley, and mint. The herb's leaves get conveniently caught on the outside of your grater as you pull each stalk through, giving you plenty of free time to repurpose leftover stems.

The smaller-sized holes of your grater are a good fit for thin sprigs of thyme, oregano, and marjoram. Depending on the thickness of their stems, other herbs like tarragon might be trickier to match up with appropriately sized holes. It's important to note, however, that if you want a perfectly intact herb for your garnish or glamor shot, you may want to pluck a few leaves by hand.

The holes of your box grater have a sharp edge that works well for stripping herbs, so other everyday kitchen tools may not execute this de-stemming trick in the same exact way. Still, if your go-to grater is in the dishwasher, you can try running a cilantro stem, or another similarly sized herb, through the holes of your colander or even between the finely spaced tines of a fork, saving your fingers a few seconds.

If you prefer a kitchen gadget that's more fit to purpose, there are dedicated herb stripping tools, such as this one from Luxiv. Like a box grater, herb strippers have a sharp edge and a range of hole sizes to accommodate each herb. Some even come with a diagram telling you exactly which herb to use where to minimize any guesswork. Plus, rather than collecting on the side of your box grater, the leaves of your herbs will drop neatly into a bowl underneath. So, whether you're prepping aromatics ahead of time or adding fresh flavors on the fly, a de-stemming herb hack or tool will save you some serious time when cooking.