The dried herbs a kitchen runs on: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, dill weed, bay leaf, marjoram and tarragon, plus chervil, summer savory, epazote and Mexican oregano. For a head start, our herbes de provence, fines herbes and poultry sage are salt-free blends of them.

Dried herbs are stronger than fresh, so use about a third as much. Add sturdy ones like rosemary, thyme and bay early; delicate ones like parsley, chervil and tarragon go in at the end. And give the jar a sniff: if you can't smell much, you won't taste much.