Although we still have plenty of growing going on in the garden, it’s time to start preserving some of your herbs. Just like I process the beans, berries, tomatoes and zucchini as the summer progresses, I like to harvest my herbs and preserve them a little at a time as well. This way you won’t be overwhelmed at the end of the season with a massive job.
Cooking with fresh herbs is one of the reasons why we grow herbs. Basil, cilantro, thyme, and oregano are just a few of my favorites that impart great taste to our foods. We can preserve these wonderful flavors so that we have a supply of tasty herbs all winter long. There are 2 main ways to preserve fresh herbs, freeze them or dry them. Here are a variety of easy techniques that you can use to preserve fresh herbs growing in your garden.
How to freeze your herbs…
Many herbs do well when frozen and this technique helps to maintain a stronger flavor of the herbs. Freezing is especially beneficial for tender and delicate herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley and lemon balm. Here are several options for freezing.
Freeze individual leaves
With this option you need to wash and dry the leaves. Place the individual leaves on a tray or cookie sheet and freeze. Put the leaves in a ziploc bag and then remove and use the amount you need for recipes. Just crumble the leaves into your food as you prepare it. This technique can also work well for my chives. Chop them into small pieces, freeze on a cookie tray and bag.
Freeze in a bundle
Wash and dry your leaves and then place a cup or two in a ziploc bag. Press the leaves to the bottom of the bag and then roll the bag up and place in your freezer. When you need these herbs just slice off a piece of the roll.
Freeze in water
Wash your herbs thoroughly and chop them up. Fill an ice cube tray with the herb pieces and cover with water. Freeze the tray and then store the cubes in a ziploc bag or jar in your freezer. When you need that herb, grab a cube and add it to your food.
Freeze in oil
Wash and dry the herbs. You have several options at this point. You can place the chopped herbs in an ice cube tray and cover with olive oil. Then store the cubes in a ziploc bag or jar in your freezer. My go-to method however, is to form an herbal paste. Here’s how…place the herbs in a food processor and pulse while adding a small amount of olive oil. When the herbs and oil have blended into a paste, spread the mixture on a parchment lined tray. You want a thin, even layer. Once frozen, cut the herbs into 2 inch pieces and store in a ziploc bag in your freezer. When you need that herb just grab a piece or 2 and add to your soup, stew, sauce etc.
How to dry your herbs…
The flavor of dried herbs is not as strong as the frozen varieties but they will still provide you with wonderful flavor in cooking. Here are some of the options for drying your herbs. Stronger, more robust flavored herbs can maintain their flavor better when dried such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and marjoram.
Hang in a paper bag
You can easily preserve your herbs with this technique. Wash and thoroughly dry the herbs. Then bundle them together and hang in a warm, dark area. I like to place my bundle in a small paper bag and use a rubber band to hold them in place. Add a few small holes into the bag to allow for air circulation. Then just hang your bag. This keeps the herbs dust and bug free. Allow 2-4 weeks for the herbs to dry then cut off the leaves and place in a ziploc bag or jar. No need to crumble them, instead just crumble them when you use them in your recipes.
Oven dry method
Place your washed and dried herbs on a cookie sheet in the oven at the lowest level. Leave the door ajar. Let dry for several hours until the leaves are crispy.
Dehydrator
Lay the leaves on your dehydrator racks and dry according to your manufacturer’s directions.
Microwave method
Wash and thoroughly dry your herbs. Making sure that the leaves are dry is very important with this technique. Place leaves on a paper towel and cover with another paper towel. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Check how dry the leaves are. If not completely dried give them another 30 seconds on high. Remove from the microwave and allow to cool before storing.
The methods that I generally use to process my herbs are the oil/paste technique to freeze and the paper bag method to dry. For me these options have worked best. However, I found that microwaving the herbs to dry worked very well and was easy to do. This might be my new go-to technique for drying my herbs. You might find one of the other techniques optimal for your circumstances.
General Tips for Preserving…
- Make small batches at a time.
- Be sure to wash and dry your herbs thoroughly.
- Label your containers so you know what herb it is and when you processed it.
- Make herbal blends to enjoy with you meals.
- Store your dried herbs in a cool area of your kitchen, out of direct light.
- Keep track of how much you make and use, so you will know how much of each herb to plant next year. I add this to my Summer Produce Tracker along with the vegetables and fruits that I am processing.
- Storing your frozen herbs is simple. Just store in labeled ziploc bags. Double bagging can help to reduce oxidation and freezer burn.
- To store your dried herbs you can keep them in jars, ziploc bags or plastic storage containers. The key to retaining more flavor is to keep them in a cool, dark area such as a cupboard or pantry. Keeping them away from heat and light will help to maintain their flavor longer.
Growing herbs in your garden provides so many benefits. One of those benefits is to flavor your food not only in the summer but all year long. Try one of more of these techniques to preserve fresh herbs and give yourself a long-lasting supply of your favorites. Most herbs will retain their flavors for 6 months to 1 year so you can have an abundant supply from year to year when you grow them yourself.
I like to store my dried herbs in wide-mouthed canning jars. Once your herbs are dried it can be difficult to tell them apart. So I created some jar labels to use with my dried herbs. I use double-sided tape or a little glue from a glue stick to attach them to the jar. Another option would be to get special paper with a sticky backing from the craft store.
No matter how you save your herbs, they can add wonderful flavor to your foods. So be sure to preserve them while they are at their peak. Next winter you will be so happy to have the taste of summer ready to enjoy.