Jump to:
- About this guide:
- What is a sprig / How much is a sprig:
- How to calculate specific amounts:
- How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
- How many tablespoons are in a cup?
- Basil:
- Chive:
- Cilantro:
- Dill:
- Lavender:
- Marjoram:
- Mint:
- Oregano:
- Parsley (curly leaf):
- Parsley (flat leaf):
- How much is one bunch of parsley:
- Rosemary:
- Sage:
- Tarragon:
- Thyme:
- More cooking conversion guides:
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About this guide:
A lot of recipes call for a specific amount of a finely chopped fresh herb. But how do you know what length of sprig or how many sprigs you need for that?
That's what this guide is for. It's a handy reference that tells you approximately how many teaspoons are in a sprig of a particular herb.
You can use this guide in the grocery store when shopping for a recipe. Or you can reference it before taking scissors to the potted herb plants in your kitchen or your garden.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this resource is meant as a guide only. The amounts given for each herb are approximate because no two sprigs of a particular herb are the exact same and the number and size of leaves will vary to some extent.
What's in this guide:
This guide is organized by herb (in alphabetical order). How many teaspoons are in a sprig depends both on the herb and the size of the sprig. For each herb this guide lists:
- the length of the sprig measured
- the approximate amount of leaves that can be harvested from a sprig of that length
- the approximate amount of finely chopped herb that a sprig of that length will yield
I also included photographs to provide a visual reference for what each measured herb sprig looked like.
How was this guide created?
To create this guide, I analyzed sprigs of all common culinary herbs. I included basil, chive, cilantro, dill, lavender, marjoram, mint, rosemary, parsley (flat leaf (Italian) and curly leaf), oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.
I did each measurement three times, meaning I selected three sprigs of the same length for each herb. For each measurement, I cut the leaves off the sprig and packed them into a measuring spoon or cup and noted the amount. Then I finely chopped the leaves, transferred them into a measuring spoon and noted their volume. The amounts reported in this guide are the average of the three measurements.
What is a sprig / How much is a sprig:
A sprig of an herb is a small branch of the herb plant (usually between 4 and 6 inches long, unless otherwise specified).
Sprigs can vary dramatically in size, even within a given plant. Because of that I have included the length of each sprig measured in this guide.
How to calculate specific amounts:
You can calculate the specific amounts of finely chopped herb you need using the conversions for teaspoons to tablespoons and tablespoons to cups listed below.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Unit: | Equals: |
---|---|
1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons |
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
Unit: | Equal: |
---|---|
4 tablespoons | ¼ cup |
Basil:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig basil | ⅓ cup packed basil leaves (about 10 medium/large leaves) | 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil |
Chive:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: |
---|---|
one 6-inch chive | ⅜ teaspoon finely chopped chive |
Cilantro:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig cilantro | 1 teaspoon packed cilantro leaves | ¼ teaspoon finely chopped cilantro |
Dill:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 8-inch sprig dill | 1 tablespoon packed dill leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill |
Lavender:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig lavender | ½ teaspoon lavender buds | ½ teaspoon finely chopped lavender |
Note: Lavender buds will pack tightly together. That's why the volume of whole lavender buds and that of finely chopped lavender will be about the same.
Marjoram:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig marjoram | 1 teaspoon packed marjoram leaves | ¼ teaspoon finely chopped marjoram |
Mint:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig mint | 1 tablespoon packed mint leaves (about 6 medium/large leaves) | 1 teaspoon finely chopped mint |
Oregano:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig oregano | 1 tablespoon packed oregano leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano |
Parsley (curly leaf):
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig curly leaf parsley | 2 tablespoons packed curly leaf parsley leaves | 1 tablespoon finely chopped curly leaf parsley |
Parsley (flat leaf):
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig flat leaf (Italian) parsley | ½ tablespoon packed flat leaf (Italian) parsley leaves | ¾ teaspoon finely chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley |
How much is one bunch of parsley:
One bunch of parsley (flat leaf (Italian) or curly leaf) usually weighs 2 to 2 ½ ounces and is usually made up of 20 to 25 long sprigs.
Rosemary:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig rosemary | ½ tablespoon packed rosemary leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary |
Sage:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig sage | 1 tablespoon packed sage leaves (about 6 medium/large leaves) | 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage |
Note: Finely chopped sage leaves won't pack very tightly together because of their cotton-like texture. That's why the volume of packed whole sage leaves and that of finely chopped sage will be about the same.
Tarragon:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig tarragon | 1 tablespoon packed tarragon leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon |
Thyme:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig thyme | ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves | ⅛ teaspoon finely chopped thyme |
Terry
Great info. AAA+
Nicole B.
Thanks so much!!
Debbie P.
Much needed information.
Awesome job!
Thank you.
Nicole B.
So happy to hear that! Thank you, Debbie!
Richard
Thank you for this information, i'm a new cook and greatly appreciate.
Nicole B.
You're so welcome, I'm very happy to hear that you find it useful!!