Preserving Herbs for the Winter
by Kristina Arnold, owner of Cocina del Mundo (the world’s
kitchen)
Herbs have gained great
popularity in the past years for helping people flavor their foods without
adding unnecessary oils and salts. Most
mixes on the grocer’s shelf contain ingredients that are harmful to many
shoppers including monosodium glutamate (msg), and heavy amounts of
preservatives which give unnatural flavoring.
Several herbs have bold flavors which can replace these unwanted
ingredients. Garlic and onion are the
first two ingredients which can boost the flavor in many dishes. Several green herbs can help because of their
bold flavors; oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. Other herbs can enhance a dish without
overpowering it; basil, chervil, dill, marjoram, and parsley.
Most of the popular herbs can
be easily grown in the garden with minimal care. The most important this to remember is to
water only when the soil around the plant is completely dry. The most common way of killing plants in
overwatering, the other would be not giving the plant enough sunlight. Herbs generally need 4-8 hours of sunlight a
day.
Harvest herbs from the
garden
Use strong scissors or a
kitchen knife to snip the herbs. If the herb can survive winter (i.e. it is a
perennial with over-wintering abilities), cut the stems at the base of the
plant. Other herbs can be entirely pulled out and the roots and woody parts
composted after cutting. Cut all herbs used for drying in a way that leaves
them with long stems. See "Tips" for hints on best times to
harvest.
Wash dirty herbs carefully.
If you have to wash your herbs because of dirt, the best thing to do is to
gently spray them with a fine mist sprayer and then wipe them. (Otherwise there
may be a risk of mildew problems during storage.) Pat them with a
kitchen towel or shake dry.
Hanging plants to dry
Remove lower leaves from the
stems and tie the bunch of herbs together close to the top of the stems.
Ideally, a bunch should contain no more than 5 - 10 stems to facilitate
ventilation.
Find a dry, warm (not humid),
dark and well ventilated place that is out of the way of pedestrian traffic or
constant rummaging. The ideal temperature for drying is around 68ºF/20ºC. If
you do not have a dark spot in the house, you can try tying paper lunch bags
over each bunch and piercing air holes in the bag. This has the added bonus of
also keeping the dust off.
Leave the herbs to dry for 1
- 3 weeks. Check them every now and then to see how they are drying - thicker
stemmed herbs will take longer. Check to see if their consistency has become
crumbly by rubbing a leaf between two fingers. If they crumble, they are ready
to be taken down.
Remove the leaves and bottle
them in airtight glass herb jars (or other jars you have around). Pick out any
fluff, woody pieces and other foreign material as you remove the leaves. You
can keep the leaves whole, crush them in your fingers to make a really fine
ground mix for cooking (but use this quickly to retain flavor) or leave them in
leaf shape for tea, garnishes on soups, etc. (these should not be too crumbly).
Seeds should be left whole and crushed only when needed for cooking.
Label the jar and date it.
Store the herbs for up to one to two years, discard if herbs discolor.
Remember herbs are not
something to be afraid of. Start adding
them to dishes in small quantities to see if you enjoy the flavor. The easiest way to experiment is to make your
food as you generally do, then add a touch of herbs. Herbs are the secrets to great dishes!
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