Preserving Herbs

[mattphillips78]

Hi Everyone,

I have lots of parsley growing this year, as well as mint, thyme etc. I have so much that i would like to be able to keep some back for the rest of the year. Can you dry these herbs and how do you normally do it?

Thank you for your help in advance,

Matthew Phillips

[RobHed]

Hi Everyone,

I have lots of parsley growing this year, as well as mint, thyme etc. I have so much that i would like to be able to keep some back for the rest of the year. Can you dry these herbs and how do you normally do it?

Thank you for your help in advance,

Matthew Phillips

Hi Matt,

According to Jekka (the Queen of Herbs), the following advice is recommended :


TOP TIPS FOR PRESERVING HERBS
Hardy herbs such as rosemary, sage, bay and thyme can be picked fresh all year round, but are also good to dry. Staple a taut piece of muslin over a wooden frame (try an old picture frame). Lay the herbs on it and keep in a dry room (not kitchen), out of the sun, for about a week. Store in an airtight container.

Freeze parsley, chervil and dill as whole stems in plastic bags. There's no need to chop them, just crumble the crisp, still-frozen herbs straight into dishes.

Steep basil in a bowl of olive oil for a month, keeping the leaves submerged. Strain through a coffee filter and bottle the oil. Or chop the leaves in a processor with olive oil. The green purée keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge or for three months in the freezer.

Hope this helps ! My rocket is growing wild so will have to think about what I can do with the excess of that....

Best wishes - Rob from bristol

[jim]

Dear Matt,

All the woody herbs - sage, thyme, rosemary- can be used fresh all year round or dried by simply leaving them in paper bags with holes poked through to allow air circulation. (I make them with sheets of old newspaper and cellotape.) If you want to dry leafy herbs - parsley, mint etc. - place in an oven that's been cooling after use. The use of oil to extract flavour from basil is good too, you can also use it for garlic and chilli. Although the chilli oil I made is capable of creating singualarities in the fabric of the cosmos, so don't overdo it!

Love and Peace
Jim

[mattphillips78]

Hi, thank you for your great replies - I will use these to keep our herbs all year round, they have gone mad at the allotment, only ever grown them in pots before!

thanks again, matthew

[RobHed]

Just a note from experience - mint and rocket tend to take over and are the 'bullies' of the herb bed so it might be worth giving them some space away from smaller herbs. I used to have to continually move these two from mixed herb areas and give them their own room !

[jim]

Same with lemon balm!

Love and Peace
Jim