Preserving Your Delicious Herbs
By Kay DiVerde
Anyone who likes to cook (or eat) has a favorite herb that is a secret ingredient in his or her recipes. During the growing season, it is so satisfying to go out and pinch of a bunch of oregano or dill and toss it into the cooking pot. Have that same satisfaction all year long by preserving your leftover herbs to use throughout the year.
No matter what time of year, cut off the herbs you want with a clean, sharp tool. The nose of the scissors, pruner or snip should fit easily between the delicate branches of the plants. Wipe the blade clean after cutting from each plant to prevent the spread of disease and germs.
When herbs are dried, the moisture leaves and the flavor oils stay. This is why dried herbs tend to offer a stronger flavor than fresh ones. The key to drying herbs is to dry them quickly. An ideal time to snip herbs is immediately before the plants bloom. This is when the oils are the strongest. Also pick herbs on a day free from rain after the dew has dried off the leaves.
Snipping herbs does not follow the same one-third rule as pruning a tree or bush. You can cut up to two-thirds off the plant at a time. Remember stems retain the most moisture, so don’t save parts with sparse foliage.
You can dry the herbs by hanging them upside down and putting them in a paper bag to catch the leaves and seeds that may fall. The upside-down position forces the oils to run down to the leaves. The oils also stay stronger in the dark.
It is also possible to dry herbs by laying them on a tray or screen. If you are in a hurry for dried herbs, you may even want to place the herbs in a warm oven for a few hours. Keep the oven under 180º F or the plants’ oils may be lost.
Once you have the leaves dry and crumbly, strip the leaves off the plant. Store them in airtight containers. If you notice moisture collecting on the lids, take out the herbs and let them dry out some more.
If you have herbs that are grown for their seeds, they should be harvested once the seeds have turned light brown or gray. Varieties that fall into this category include dill, caraway and coriander. To dry these, hang them upside down in a bag or spread them out to dry. Once the plants are somewhat dry, shake the seeds from the plants and let them dry some more. You can thresh away the hulls of the seeds by blowing on them gently, using a fan or by having the seeds fall through a colander or screen made of hardware cloth.
Herbs make beautiful, scented accent plants in any garden. In addition to their good looks and scent, they are great for cooking! Drying herbs is a relatively simple task that starts with a quality sharp tool to snip the plant. Every bit of effort entailed in growing and drying herbs will well be worth the effort all year long!
Kay DiVerde is a freelance writer, horticultural researcher and consultant for Orchard's Edge. DiVerde also writes for a variety of newsletters and publications in the Midwest.
