Everyone loves the addition of herbs in a range of food dishes, some of which will seem incomplete without the thyme! So, when a thyme sprig comes up, you will want to know how much it is so that you do not end up running your dish.
A sprig of thyme does not have a fixed weighted measurement! It can vary and is actually dependent on the size of the sprig itself. Generally a sprig of thyme equals a ½ or ¼ teaspoon of dry thyme.
Thyme sprigs are a good ingredient to have in the house, but, if you don’t have it, you need the next best thing in the right quantity.
Have cats in the house? Is Thyme Safe For cats? Can Cats Eat Thyme?
What is a Sprig?
A sprig is by no means a fixed quantity of thyme but rather a casual amount as its quantity is random! But it is a very common measure of thyme and a few other herbs as well!
But the term sprig has been created based on the appearance of thyme. A sprig of thyme is a main stem which usually contains one or two secondary branches deviating from its base.
All of these branches primary and secondary are adorned with thyme leaves. Counting the number of leaves is impossible. Instead, noting a certain number of stems is easier. Perhaps this is how thyme measurement was done in olden times but has stuck through time.
What Does a Thyme Sprig Look Like?
A sprig of thyme looks like a very small bunch of thyme stems and leaves. It contains a main woody stem of thyme that has two or more smaller stems arising from any part of the main stem.
A sprig is typically not much larger than your palm and not wider either. Sometimes a stem can be too little or too much to be a “sprig.”
All stems, whether primary or secondary, are adorned with thyme leaves. These thyme leaves are elliptical, almost appearing as rice grain-shaped from afar. Leaves are alternately placed on stems and upon further inspection you can notice small white hairs on the leaves.
Dimensions of a Thyme Sprig
If you aren’t familiar with how much a sprig actually is, knowing the dimensions could help you. Say for instance a recipe has the dimension of one or two sprigs, you need some form of measurement.
Here are some dimensions to correctly help you identify a sprig of thyme:
- A sprig typically measures 3 to 4 inches in length.
- There is no specific width measurement but it should have one or two sub-stems that are no larger than the main stem. (Sub-stems larger or the same size as the main stem means it is more than a sprig)
- When measuring all the thyme leaves on a sprig, it comes up to anywhere between a ¼ or even ¾ of a teaspoon.
Is a Sprig of Thyme a Big Amount?
When anyone or even a recipe mentions a sprig or two of thyme, anyone who hasn’t heard of it may become frightened. Especially since they think that a sprig of thyme is a very large amount!
Truth is the amount of thyme in a sprig varies greatly and there is no fixed amount. A sprig is an arbitrary measurement. This is it can be less or more than what certain people mean when they say a sprig.
Ideally, a sprig should be a moderate amount of thyme. It shouldn’t be too much as the flavor would overwhelm your dish. But, if it is too little, the thyme flavor would go undetected in your dish!
Thus, you have to have the right amount of thyme to flavor you food just right!
Equivalent Measurements of a Sprig of Thyme
This is a question you may ask if you don’t have access to live thyme plants or even fresh thyme for that matter! Knowing the equivalent of a sprig can help you make the conversion when making a dish involving a sprig of thyme or any other herb.
Also, dried thyme and fresh thyme bear different measurements. That’s because dried thyme is more compact as it lacks the water content fresh thyme possesses.
1 sprig of fresh thyme = ½ or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup fresh thyme = 1 oz (ounce) of dried thyme
1 tbsp fresh thyme = 1 tsp dried thyme
Why is a Sprig Used as a Measurement?
Many of you have probably noticed that a sprig of thyme features in a lot of recipes. So, you will probably wonder why isn’t this measurement obsolete because it isn’t a fixed amount.
The one reason why the sprig is still in use even today is that it is a convenient way to measure thyme. It is still easier to trust the judgment of a few stems of thyme than to take off each and every leaf and weigh it out!
Other Herbs That Use Sprig as a Measurement
The measurement of a sprig may yield an uncertain weight. But, it’s not just thyme that makes use of the “sprig” as a measurement! Other herbs that are measured in the form of a sprig are:
- Basil
- Mint
- Parsley
- Rosemary
For most of them a sprig consists of a few stems of the herb. While for mint it consists of a few leaves on a stem since the leaf size is much bigger than most of the other herbs.
Thyme Sprig Substitutes
So you know that having a sprig of thyme means having a live thyme plant to harvest it from. Not everyone has a live thyme plant from which they can harvest as many sprigs as they want. So, immediately you will want to know what the next best thing is.
Dried thyme is obviously the second best option. But, what if you don’t have access to any form of thyme? Here are alternatives to thyme according to taste:
Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, Poultry Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Za’atar, Herbes de Provence.
Depending on the quantity used, thyme can make a convenient cover up for any of these ingredients missing in your dish of food.
How to Use a Thyme Sprig?
To some, a sprig of thyme may seem like a daunting object to incorporate into your cuisine if you don’t normally use a lot of thyme or any at all!
However, you will find a sprig of thyme has a lot of applications. In some cases, it proves to be the better alternative to dried thyme or even some other herbs and spice mixes!
Examples of using thyme sprigs are in braising dishes and broths as they do well in imparting an intense flavor. Also, you can add them to dishes that require a thick and flavorful sauce such as pasta.
Use sprigs or parts of sprigs to cook off fruits for a dessert and add flavor. Alternatively you can just use it to decorate the outside of your dessert and add a subtle and unexpected flavor! Thyme is finding more and more culinary uses day by day!
You will always find a use for thyme. We have just mentioned a few and there are so many other non-culinary uses for thyme.
Conclusion
You may get lucky and find a recipe with a thyme measurement in tablespoons or teaspoons. But, if you are rather unlucky, you will get a measurement in terms of sprigs. For people who haven’t come across this measurement, you won’t know how much it is.
A sprig of time consists of a main woody stem with two or more smaller stems projecting from the main stem. If you need an actual measurement, 1 sprig of fresh thyme equals to ½ or ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
So, now if you come across a recipe requiring a sprig or two of thyme, you know what the dried quantity is and can easily substitute.
Related read: Are Thyme Flowers Edible? Appearance & Taste
FAQs
How do you cut a thyme sprig?
Mostly when a recipe uses the measurement of a sprig, it means the whole stem as a whole. But, if you feel this cannot be right, you have to cut the stems and possibly remove the leaves. Cut off stems at the point where they connect or intersect. You can remove all the leaves by holding the stem between your thumb and forefinger and pulling up. All the leaves should come off with ease.
How to store a sprig of thyme?
A sprig of thyme is usually fresh, harvested from a live plant. It contains quite a few stems, you should remove the central (Main) stem as it is woody and unpalatable. The rest of the stems should either be used fresh or else you should try it out completely to avoid spoilage caused due to moisture.
Is it fresh or dried thyme better?
This may come down to a personal choice. If you have fresh thyme, you would be better off using it. But, if you only have dry ginger, it will do. But, perhaps the flavor of dry thyme is not as intense as fresh thyme! It also depends on how strong you like your thyme flavor.
