Preserving Herbs for Winter Use

Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel

You’ve probably grown a variety of herbs in containers or in your garden this summer and clipped them as needed for recipes. Fresh-from-the-garden herbs make so much difference in taste versus store-bought dried in recipes. Now is the time to harvest your herbs and preserve them so you can have “fresh” herbs through the winter months, too.

Harvest Your Herbs
You can count the rules of herb harvesting on one hand:

• Water beds or pots the night before or several hours before you start clipping.
• Clip early in the morning to retain the most oils in the herbs.
• Make sharp cuts with a set of clippers or scissors.
• Clean the herbs gently; spray them with a fine mist sprayer.
• Dry them quickly; pat them with a paper towel and shake them lightly until they are
  completely dry.
• Store them away from light and moisture.

Preserve Your Herbs
The most common methods of preserving herbs are drying or freezing. You may want to choose different methods for selected herbs, depending on how frequently you use them. Herbs that dry well are basil, dill, fennel, lovage, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon and thyme.

You can either hang your herbs to dry them or dry them flat between paper towels. If you plan on the hanging method, follow these steps:

1. Remove lower leaves from stems and tie bunches together, close to the top of the stems. Try not to include more than 5-10 stems to a bunch; this will allow the proper ventilation ideal for drying.
2. Find a dry, warm (not humid), dark, and well-ventilated place. The ideal temperature you want to aim for is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Leave the cuttings out to dry for 1-3 weeks. Check them every now and then to see how they are doing. Thicker stemmed varieties will take a bit longer to dry. Once the consistency of the foliage is crumbly, they are ready to be taken down. Rub a single leaf between your fingers. If it crumbles, it’s ready.
4. You saved all those empty spice jars, right? They are great for your newly dried herbs. Remove the leaves and bottle them in an airtight jar. You can keep leaves whole or crush them, depending on how you want to use them. Seeds should be left whole and crushed only when needed for cooking.
5. Label and date your jar. Dried herbs can be stored for up to a year.

If you plan to dry herbs flat, follow these steps:

1. Lay some clean paper towels down on a countertop or table. Layer them in twos.
2. Snip the washed leaves off the stems and arrange them in rows on one side of the towel.
3. Lay another paper towel on top (folded in half over the leaves).
4. Add another layer of leaves and bring half of first 2 towel layers to cover.
5. Leave the towels and plant cuttings out to dry for 2-3 days. Your herbs are ready when a leaf crumbles. 
6. Dried herbs can be placed in a freezer bag, jar, or container and kept for up to a year.

Tips on drying

• A dehydrator will speed up the drying process.
• I’ve had good luck drying some herbs between paper towels in the microwave. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Experiment with a few leaves and check progress. 
• I have also dried parsley and basil in the oven at 170 degrees (lowest temp on my oven) in a single layer on a cookie sheet for about an hour. Again, check progress periodically.
• Here’s one for you to try: If you live in a hot, humid area, take advantage of the high temperatures in an outbuilding or the trunk of your car (left in the sun) for “express drying.” Good luck with this tip!
• I dry stems of thyme in a brown paper bag in a pantry closet (no pre-drying before storing). It’s easy to strip the leaves off the dried stems when you need thyme for a recipe.

If you use herbs frequently, you may prefer freezing them. Freezing preserves essential oils, which give herbs their flavor. Herbs do not need to be blanched first. Just rinse, remove the leaves from the stems and let them dry on a flat tray. Herbs that freeze well are basil (retains flavor but discolors), chervil, cilantro, chives, dill, lemon balm lemon verbena, lovage, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, sweet cicely, sweet marjoram, tarragon and thyme. 

1. Place leaves into a freezer bag or container.
2. Label and date the containers. Frozen cuttings should keep for 3 months.

Tips on freezing

• I’ve been using an ice cube tray to completely immerse the leaves in water and freeze. The cubes pop right out into plastic bags or containers. You can store these for at least a year. If you chop a tablespoon of the herb for each cube, you won’t have to measure when you’re ready to use them. Label containers.
• Blend the herbs with oil to make a paste, which you can then freeze in a plastic container, bag or in ice cube trays. Freeze just one kind of herb, such as basil; or make your own blend, such as oregano, thyme, parsley and sage.

Alternate Methods
A long-term approach to preservation is to steep the herbs or infuse them in olive oil. Follow these steps:

1. Pick and clean your selected varieties.
2. Keep the leaves attached to the stem or remove them to add leaves separately.
3. Using a bit of oil (olive oil works best), place herbs inside an airtight jar or bottle with the oil. This method is an attractive and decorative option. Herb-flavored oil is a thoughtful hostess gift. (But make and gift soon afterward and add a use-by date to label.)
4. Be sure to store in a cool or refrigerated place, especially during warmer months, to prevent oil from turning rancid. Use within 6 months.

Make Some Pesto
…Especially if you have lots of a certain herb! Pesto can be made from any fresh leaves or herbs and can be frozen for future use. Great with pasta of course, but also nice to serve with chicken or fish. Following is a generic recipe for making pesto. Use a food processor if you have one. A blender will work also.

The basic ratio is 1:2:2:8 (1 part nuts, 2 parts oil, 2 parts grating cheese, 8 parts leaves or herbs), plus garlic, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Start with cloves of garlic. One or two to start. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add two packed cups of fresh leaves or herbs, such as basil, cilantro, kale, parsley, spinach, mint – or a mixture.  Add ¼ cup of nuts – pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds. Toast them first for extra flavor. Slowly add ½ cup of oil. Extra virgin olive oil is always good, but experiment with avocado oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil or another with mild flavor.  Add ½ cup of any grating cheese such as Parmigiano, Reggiano, Pecorino, Asiago, Romano, etc.  Blend until the cheese is just incorporated. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Taste! If it needs to be thinner, blend in a bit more oil.  The above quantities make about 1 cup of pesto.

One of the most rewarding aspects of growing herbs is the opportunity to harvest them in the fall and enjoy using them in recipes throughout the winter months. 

 

Resources: https://foodal.com/knowledge/things-that-preserve/preserve-herbs/

                     http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/October 11, 2018; Article by Lynne Jaques

                     https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/freezing-herbs/5391.html

                     https://bonnieplants.com/gardening/summer-herb-harvest-tips/