If you have never grown your own herbs, you really need to try this out. Having fresh herbs to add to your favorite dishes is so great, and growing your own helps you save money. Have you priced fresh herbs at the grocery store lately? They are ridiculously expensive. And, growing herbs is so easy that anyone can do it. Now, once you have decided to have your own herb garden, you will need to know how to keep those herbs preserved once you clip them so that you can enjoy their fresh taste all year long.
I have eight of the easiest ways in the world that you can preserve your fresh herbs and help them maintain their delicious flavor. Whether you grow thyme, rosemary, tarragon, or any combination of all of your favorite herbs, these preservation methods will help you to keep that fresh taste, and all of these are super easy. From freezing and drying to making your own herb paste, you will definitely find a method that works for you, and then you just drop your herb mixture into your dishes while you are cooking, and you’re all set. You will also want to check out these 14 healing herbs that you want to add to your herb garden.
I hope you are excited about growing your own herbs. Herbs can be used for so many things – even some that don’t include cooking. But if you do cook with fresh herbs, this is the best way to get them. Growing them yourself is going to give you so much satisfaction, and now that you know how to preserve them, you will never have to go without that fresh herb taste. If you have never grown your own herbs, be sure to take a look at these 18 creative herb gardens that you can build indoors or outdoors.
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1. Freeze Fresh Herbs In Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a wonderful base for freezing your fresh herbs, and this helps them to keep their fresh taste for months. You have to prepare your herbs first, by clipping and stripping them. It also helps to have a dedicated ice cube tray for this method, and you can buy cheap plastic ice cube trays at the Dollar Store for just a dollar or so for two or three. You’ll get eight to 12 cubes – depending on the size of your ice cube tray – and each of them can be added to stews and other recipes for a wonderfully fresh herb flavor. Coconut oil is great – there are so many wonderful coconut oil recipes for health and beauty!
2. Make Your Own Herb Oil
Herb oils are a quick, delicious way to capture the fresh flavor and vibrant color of your herbs before they fade. Blanch soft herbs like parsley, basil, or cilantro, then cool them in an ice bath to preserve their brightness. Blend the herbs with olive or neutral oil and strain through cheesecloth for a smooth, aromatic finish. While herb oil won’t last all year, it’s a wonderful short-term option for adding a burst of herbal flavor to eggs, vegetables, or grain bowls. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within a week.
3. Make Your Own Homemade Herb Paste
I love using herb paste in my recipes, and this is a really simple and quick way to preserve your fresh herbs for months at a time. You use a food processor to turn your herbs, along with some olive oil, into a paste that you can store in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for months. Plus, you can combine your herbs to make specialized flavors that you add to your favorite soups and other recipes.
4. Dry Herbs By Hanging
You can bundle herbs together and dry them, which lets you keep that fresh herb flavor for up to a year. Once your herbs are dried, you just store them in an airtight container and use them within a year. This is the simplest method, although drying does take a bit more time than other preservation methods. You can also use the microwave to dry your herbs and cut down on the drying time just a bit.
5. Freeze Fresh Herbs In Olive Oil
Here is another great method for freezing herbs that will help you to keep them tasting fresh for several months. I love cooking with olive oil – it adds such a nice flavor to everything, and this lets you add that flavor, along with the flavor of your fresh herbs. You just prepare your herbs and add olive oil before freezing. Store your frozen cubes in freezer bags for up to a year and just drop them into your dishes while preparing.
6. Preserve Herbs With Salt
You can preserve so many herbs with salt, and this method takes less time than most others. You don’t even need any fancy salt – just plain old table salt and a jar or tightly sealed container to store your herbs in when you’re finished. The salt helps to dry them out, and chances are that you will use salt in your recipes, so this takes care of that step, too. Plus, you can combine your herbs and make your own special blends. Add this to your list of helpful ways to use salt around the house.
7. Brine Ferment Herbs For Months Of Storage
Brine fermenting your herbs also requires salt, although you use Himalayan or sea salt to create the brine. This is sort of like making brine pickles. If you have ever made dill pickles, then this method will be a breeze for you. And it preserves those fresh herbs for months, so you can get that fresh herb taste even when your herb garden is no longer producing. You have to let these ferment for a few days, and then you can store them at room temperature for a couple of weeks or in a cool place for up to six months.
8. Make Your Own Homemade Herb Vinegars
Homemade herb vinegars are a wonderful way to add flavor to your favorite dishes and to keep that fresh herb taste long after you have picked your herbs. These are super easy to make, though you should note that you have to let them set in the vinegar solution for 1 to 2 weeks before they are ready to use. You can store homemade herb vinegars in a dry place up to a year, or you can store them in a fridge, too.
Phyllis
Just Love this Website. Wonderful ideas.