One of the
most frequent questions we get asked is "How do I save my herbs over
the winter?" Here are some ways to preserve your herbs, one or
two you may have heard of and some may be completely new. Try
experimenting with one or two and let us know which work best for you.
Harvesting:
Leaves should be harvested when they are at their peak, during a cool
part of the day so they will not wilt before you get them into the
house. Cut off no more than a third of the plant during the
growing season and only cut off more if you are finishing the season
for annual plants such as basil, dill & cilantro. Chives
should be cut completely across the base of the plant, never across the
tips, so they will regrow. Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Thyme
and other perennials should also be cut not more than a third of the
plant.
Freezing:
This
generally works well for tender leafy herbs such as basil, chives,
parsley, cilantro, dill, and mints. Three techniques work well
and depending upon the amount you have to preserve, you can choose
between them. The easiest way is to paint the leaves with some
light olive oil or vegetable oil and place them into ziploc bags to be
frozen. Some may turn black when they freeze but the flavor is
held very well and they taste almost like fresh when you take them out
to use them.
The other
technique is to make a paste or "pesto" with oil and herbs in a blender
or food processor. You then freeze the pesto in a Ziploc
bag or on waxed paper. Once it is frozen, store in freezer and
cut off pieces as needed and thaw in your hot recipes.
One other way
to freeze herbs is to chop coarsely, fill ice cube trays with herbs,
add water to cover and freeze. Thaw them and drain well.
Chop finely to use in recipes.
Herb Flavored Vinegars, Oils, Herb Butters, and Herb Salts:
One
of the best ways to store herbs is to add them to vinegars, olive oil,
fresh butter, or sea salt. The flavors of the herbs are infused
into your favorite oils and vinegars and these make wonderful gifts as
well as cooking ingredients. For safety, refrigerate tightly
closed containers to keep them fresh.
Drying:
The oldest way, due to lack of freezers, was to dry your herbs. Keep in mind, using this technique can evaporate the flavors of the herbs very quickly so I recommend drying and then freezing or refrigerating the herbs that you will not be using in the very near future. Drying works well for Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, and Savory and can actually concentrate their flavors and make them stronger tasting than fresh. You can use your microwave to make short work of it. Just place the herbs in between paper towels and cook on high power for 1 min. at a time until they are crisp and dry. Food dehydrators work great too for large quantities.
