Never ever let those fresh herbs go to waste. I usually buy (and sometimes grow) more herbs than I can use and have leftovers in the fridge, and in the garden. There’s no reason to ever let them go in the trash because there are several ways to store them.
3 WAYS TO PRESERVE YOUR HERBS
Never ever let those fresh herbs go to waste. I usually buy (and sometimes grow) more herbs than I can use and have leftovers in the fridge, and in the garden. There’s no reason to ever let them go in the trash because there are several ways to store them.
Ingredients
Herbs that can be air-dried:
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Marjoram
- Dill
- Rosemary
- Sage
Herbs that can be frozen:
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Dill
- Basil
- Scallions, chives
Make a compound butter with your herbs:
- 5 ounces unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
- 2 teaspoons chopped oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- 1. Herbs that can be air-dried:
- • Oregano
- • Thyme
- • Marjoram
- • Dill
- • Rosemary
- • Sage
- Wash the herbs then dry them in a colander or salad spinner to remove any excess water so that they dry easily. Tie the ends of the stems together with some kitchen twine or a rubber band and hand them up to dry in a dark dry room. Cover them in a paper bag with some holes in it to keep the dust off of them. They are ready when the leaves are dry and brittle. This can take 2 weeks. Remove the leaves from the stems and store them in airtight containers up to 1 year.
- Instead of hanging herbs in bundles to dry, you can alternatively lay them in a flat layer on a baking tray until they are completely dry.
- 2. Herbs that can be frozen:
- • Mint
- • Rosemary
- • Parsley
- • Dill
- • Basil
- • Scallions, chives
- Mint leaves can be snipped off and placed (3-4 leaves) in ice cube trays then covered in water. Set the trays in the freezer until the ice cubes are frozen, remove the cubes from the trays and set in a freezer-safe bag to store up to 3 months. Serve these mint cubes with refreshments for a pleasant surprise.
- Herbs can also be finely chopped and placed in ice cube trays then covered with olive oil or water and frozen until solid. Remove the ice cubes, or oil cubes and store them in freezer-safe bags until ready to use. Up to 3 months. These are great for stirring into stews, pasta, soup, or anything you want to add some flavor to.
- Combine the herbs to make pesto and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make spinach pesto and basil pesto.
- 3. Make a compound butter with your herbs:
- • 5 ounces unsalted butter
- • Salt and pepper to taste
- • 2 garlic cloves, grated
- • 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
- • 2 teaspoons chopped oregano
- • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Combine your favorite herbs (finely chopped) along with grated garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and unsalted butter. Mix together until all of the ingredients are incorporated and form into a log, wrap with parchment paper and store in the freezer up to a month. Use the compound butter to flavor bread, chicken, fish, or steak.
what i do to dry my herbs, is put them in a paper bag, the when i need them, or in the fall i crush them in a nut crusher ;o) and bottle them with a label on it. So grow them all summer then do this in the Fall. Love it!!