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 all measurements given here are meant as a guide. No two sprigs of a particular herb are the exact same and there is going to be some variation in the number and size of leaves.
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What is a sprig:
A sprig is a small branch that grows from the main stem of a plant. Sprigs can vary dramatically in size, even within a given plant. Because of that, there is no one-size-fits-all definition of the size of a sprig. For the purposes of this guide, I have included the length of each sprig measured.
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 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.
How to calculate specific amounts:
You can calculate the specific amounts you need using the following conversions:
| Unit: | Equals: |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons |
| 4 tablespoons | ¼ cup |
Basil:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 6-inch sprig basil | ~⅓ cup packed basil leaves (~10 medium/large leaves) | ~1 tablespoon finely chopped basil |
Chive:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: |
| one 6-inch chive | ~⅜ teaspoon finely chopped chive |
Cilantro:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 4-inch sprig cilantro | ~1 teaspoon packed cilantro leaves | ~¼ teaspoon finely chopped cilantro |
Dill:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 8-inch sprig dill | ~1 tablespoon packed dill leaves | ~1 teaspoon finely chopped dill |
Lavender:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| 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: | Also equals: |
| one 4-inch sprig marjoram | ~1 teaspoon packed marjoram leaves | ~¼ teaspoon finely chopped marjoram |
Mint:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 4-inch sprig mint | ~1 tablespoon packed mint leaves (~6 medium/large leaves) | ~1 teaspoon finely chopped mint |
Oregano:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 6-inch sprig oregano | ~1 tablespoon packed oregano leaves | ~1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano |
Parsley (Curly Leaf):
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| 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: | Also equals: |
| one 6-inch sprig flat leaf parsley | ~½ tablespoon packed flat leaf parsley leaves | ~¾ teaspoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley |
Rosemary:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 6-inch sprig rosemary | ~½ tablespoon packed rosemary leaves | ~1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary |
Sage:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 6-inch sprig sage | ~1 tablespoon packed sage leaves (~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: | Also equals: |
| one 6-inch sprig tarragon | ~1 tablespoon packed tarragon leaves | ~1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon |
Thyme:
| Sprig Size: | Equals: | Also equals: |
| one 4-inch sprig thyme | ~¼ teaspoon thyme leaves | ~⅛ teaspoon finely chopped thyme |
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