How to Preserve Your Fresh Herbs

The problem with herbs you find in the supermarket is that you don't know how long they have been laying in boxes or shelves. You can preserve fresh herbs in order to retain much more of their flavor and vitality. Getting into the habit of preserving your own herbs will cut down on a lot of waste. When your plant is in need of harvest or you didn't use that whole package from the supermarket, you won't have to watch it brown and rot before throwing it out. You can save your herbs for another day, so you can enjoy them even if it's off season.

Drying Herbs:

Dried herbs have their pros and cons. On the down side, when it comes to culinary or medicinal uses, they don't retain as much flavor or fragrance as other methods of preserving herbs. On the up side, they are easy to dry, store and convenient to have on hand. They are also great for crafts or for making herbal incense and potpourri.

There are several methods for drying herbs.

Hanging bundles are small bouquets of herbs wrapped in newspaper or paper towel. Band the end of it, turn it upside-down and hang it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. The paper acts like a conical shield to help prevent dust settling upon the herbs. This can take days, more than a week, to properly preserve herbs.

Refrigerator drying is a quicker way to go about the task if you have the space in the fridge and your fridge has good moisture control. Place the herbs on a plate or tray and sit them in the fridge overnight to dry.

Oven drying must be carefully monitored; herbs can burn very quickly and all their natural oils can be sapped from excessive heat. Place them on a tray on warm. If you don't have a warm setting, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, then turn off the heat. Place them on a tray in the oven and remove them as soon as they begin to dry. This is a great option for rush drying should humid weather threaten your normal drying process.

Microwave drying is another fast way to dry herbs, but it ruins the flavor so it's best to reserve this method just for incense or crafts. Place them on a microwave-safe plate on the lowest setting.

Aerated containers are like the hanging bundles, except the herbs are more protected. Use a frame covered with screen and a breathable fabric. Line it with paper towels, put in the herbs, add more paper towels then close it and leave it until dry. Alternately, poke some holes in a paper bag, put down a layer of paper towels, then the herbs, then the paper towels, flap over the top and tape it closed then set it aside. Finally, place herbs between layers of paper towels in an open weave basket.

Fan drying is a quick, safe and effective way to dry herbs. Get some air conditioning filters. Spread herbs on it and put another one on top; slap them to a box fan and turn it on. In a few hours your herbs will be perfectly dehydrated.

Freezing Herbs:

Freezing herbs properly will help them stay delicious, however you must consider how you plan to use them if you freeze them. Only freeze herbs if you plan to use them for cooking.

It is not recommended to freeze herbs alone. This makes the delicate leaves subject to freezer burn and frost bite. Put them in a base of something before freezing in order to protect them.

Liquid freezing is the best method for someone who likes to make stews, stocks and soups. Chop up the herbs and put them in a pot with just enough water or stock to cover them. A good way to keep these is to freeze them in ice cube trays. Once frozen in small cubes, empty the tray into a plastic baggie. Double the baggie to keep it sealed tight and put it in the freezer. Whenever you need herbs, just grab a cube.

Oil freezing is ideal if you like to make pesto, marinades, sautees or to throw onto the roasting tray. Wash and dry your herbs, discard the stems and finely chop the leaves. Blend in some vegetable oil or olive oil to coat them liberally. Freeze it (the ice cube tray method works well here) and grab a chunk whenever you want.

References:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8111.html
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/season7/Herbs/HerbalPreservation.htm
Southern Herb Growing; Madalene Hill & Gwen Barclay with Jean Hardy; 1997