herbs easier, I have come to only one conclusion: The old fashion way works the best!

A medium can also be used to preserve fresh herbs as well. White vinegar for instance can be used as a cover on mint, tarragon or basil. Using this method will preserve the fresh herbs for several months. To make a flavored salt as well as preserving your herbs at the same time, alternate layers of fresh herbs between thin layers of salt while drying. The salt draws the moisture and flavors from the herb. You do not want to do this with all your herbs, sometimes the salt will pull too much flavor out of the herb, of course, how much salt do you really need?  Once completely dried, separate the brown herb from the flavored salt and store both separately in airtight, dark containers. Note: with this method, I purchased a bunch of old, light weight, aluminum windows that they used to call storm windows and placed the layering material on top….guess I am showing my age here!

Storing Herbs in the Fridge: Most fresh herbs and spices will keep for short periods of time in the refrigerator as long as they are not washed and are placed in tightly sealed plastic baggies that allows a slight amount of moisture within the bag to prevent wilting. Remember, wet herbs will mold and rot. If you would like to store your fresh herbs longer without drying them, place them unwashed in a specially designed green garden bag. Other plastics will cut off the oxygen and will therefore, promote spoilage.

Freeze Dry Herbs: I would talk about using dry ice, however the commodity became so scarce and expensive that I retired this method of preserving my herbs.  Regardless, you can still preserve your herbs in the freezer by using this fairly simple method: First dip your herbs in a bowl full of water to clean them. Gently air and pat them dry with a paper towel. *Never run fresh herbs directly under the faucet—it will damage the herb. Next, cut the fresh herb into about 1/4 inch pieces and lay them on a flat cookie sheet lined with waxed paper; then place the sheet in the freezer. After they are frozen, bunch them together in heavy freezer bags and return them to the freezer for use at a later date. Remove these herbs from the freezer at the very last minute to add to your recipe. Do not let them unthaw or they will end up loosing their potency and becoming soggy. If needed, chop them up further while they are still frozen and quickly add to your cooked recipe.

There is also the ice cube method to freeze dry herbs. Once again, clean and cut up your fresh herbs into 1/4 inch pieces and place them in large ice cube trays. Pour water, chicken or vegetable stock or another base, (cooled to room temperature-or you will end up cooking the herb), to barely cover just the tops of the herbs and pop the ice cube tray into the freezer. Once frozen, pop them out of the cube holder and place them into thick freezer bags. For longer storage, use freezer wrap to surround the freezer bag.

By using this method, you will be able to mix and match your basil, oregano, cilantro etc. into one ice cubical. Then when you are making soups or stews, just plop the whole ice cube into the pot. Whala! Fresh instant seasoning! You can also store your left over stock or bases this way as well. However…a word of warning: Do not put dried/dehydrated mushrooms or onions in the cube holders with the herb and spice mix. They will expand in liquid before the ice sets leaving quite a mess to clean up….That one was for my kid sister who made this mistake so I thought I would mention it. Sorry sis…..!

Until next time!

Follow Kali’s 10 Part Series On Storing Garden Produce For Winter Here!

Learn how to Grow, Harvest and Maintain Herbs and Vegetables Here!

Successful Gardening!

Kali S Winters

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Kali S Winters –
About the Author:

Kali S Winters is gardening enthusiast and author who spends much of her time teaching others how to setup and maintain beautiful, amazing gardens. Check out Kali’s latest book, “Holistic Herbs~A Beginners Guide to Herbal Gardening”! There you will find 12 free bonus books for your reading enjoyment. Discover more about Fall Gardening Here!

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Article Tags:
store garden produce, when to harvest garlic, when harvest garlic, planting onions and garlic, how to dry onions, best way to store herbs, fresh vs dried herbs, fresh herbs dry herbs, drying herbs at home, green garden bag, when are onions ready to harvest, oven dry

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