Harvesting
Preserving
by DryingI'm talking about drying the leaves of the
herbs here, which is the part of the plant that is most often
preserved in this way. Most herbs dry well. That means that the
herb does not lose it's color, flavor, and aroma. There are a
few that I never dry. Chives lose their taste. I don't freeze
chives either because they are chewy when frozen. They are so
easy to bring inside and taste so good fresh! Just make sure that
you leave them outside to freeze before you bring them in. Dill
dries just so-so. It loses flavor, in my opinion. I never dry
cilantro.
I
use two methods depending on how humid it is when I want to harvest:
Method #1: After picking, I hang the stems with leaves
upside down or I put the leaves on a screen in a place out of
the sun. You need to make sure there is good ventilation and low
humidity to make this work well. When the leaves are crispy and
crackly to the touch, they're dry. They need to be completely
dry or they'll get moldy when you put them in storage. For herb
seeds like coriander, hang bunches of seed stems in a bag to catch
the seed. Dry in a warm, dark place with excellent air circulation.
Method
#2: In the dog days of summer when the air is thick or when
it's been raining a lot, I use the oven for drying. I spread the
leaves out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and bake them for
48 to 72 hours. If the stove is gas, the pilot light will keep
the temperature hot enough. If you have an electric stove, put
it on its lowest setting. Turn the herbs twice a day. Yes, it
takes a long time, but a hotter temperature will dry the leaves
too quickly and all the oils will be lost.
Storing
Dried HerbsThe most important aspect of the drying is
the storing. Never, and I mean never, crumble the leaves before
you put them away. The less surface area exposed to the air, the
better the herb will retain the oils you are trying to preserve.
When you know they're crispy dry, strip them from the stems and
store in air-tight containers in a cool, dry, dark place, and
they'll keep their strength for about a year. Never store in sunlight.
Preserving
by FreezingThis is easy. Just snip small pieces of the
herbs and place in a zip-lock bag. Don't do anything fancy to
them like blanching before you put them in the bags. They'll be
good for about a year. If you prefer, puree the leaves in a blender
with a little water to liquefy them. Freeze them in an ice cube
maker and store them in freezer bags. For basil, I have a special
way so it'll keep its color. I blend the leaves in a blender (you
can use a food processor too) with a little olive oil. I pack
the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. When they're hard
as a rock, I pop them out of the trays and put them in a freezer
bag and freeze them that way. I've learned the hard way never
to freeze pesto with the garlic in it. It becomes really bitter.
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