If you’ve ever done any sort of gardening you’ll know how stressful it can get when you suddenly find yourself face-to-face with a bumper crop, an overabundance of produce, or, in this case, an excess of herbs.
It’s a good thing though, that there are many ways in which one can successfully preserve herbs for use in the long run. But why would anyone want to preserve herbs? Aren’t fresh herbs better, at least nutrition-wise?
There are many reasons why people choose to preserve herbs, most of which revolve around the concept of practicality. For example, many herb gardeners choose to preserve excess herbs to make the most of their harvest and reduce any food wastes, which would have ended up in the trash, wasted and unused.
Some may also purposely preserve their herbs to unlock new flavors that wouldn’t otherwise exist if it weren’t for certain processes that happen when preserving them.
In any case, here are some herb preservation methods that you can use in case you find yourself swamped with an overwhelming amount of herbs.
You can freeze herbs in three different ways: loose in freezer bags, or blitzed up in water or oil.
This method is preferred by many since it actually helps preserve the herbs’ essential oils. Not only that, but the method is very easy to follow:
Another method involves blending the herbs with some oil or water, which you can then use in cooking:
Another freezing method that you can try uses oils and whole herbs, with the end product looking like small cubes of compound butter. This, according to food experts, yields cubes that can be used in soups and stews or other recipes that call for whole herbs:
Herb infusions are a great way to make use of excess herbs that you may have on hand, as they can make herbs last for a much longer period of time, not to mention allow for the creation of unique ingredients that you can use on your favorite recipes.
Infusions, as noted by food experts, can be made using oils, honey and vinegar.
Herb-Oil Infusion
To make an herb and oil infusion, all you will need are whole dried herbs and an oil of your choice. Be careful when making an herb and oil infusion though, since any moisture from herbs that are not thoroughly dried can lead to botulism:
Herb-Honey Infusion
Honey infusions are a wonderful way to use excess fresh herbs that you may happen to have at the moment. These infusions are highly valued, as the herbs impart a wonderful flavor to the honey, making it an interesting addition to say, a cup of tea or as a sweetener for certain cakes and pastries. These are also used to flavor milk and also some salad dressings.
Here’s how you can make your own herb-honey infusion:
Making compound butter — AKA flavored butter — is a lovely and easy way to use any excess herbs and spices you may have in your kitchen.
Unlike other preservation methods such as oil and honey infusions that strictly require dried herbs, compound butter can be made using fresh ones, to fully capture the latter’s wonderful herbal flavors and aromas.
Here’s how you can make your own:
This is the most basic method of preserving herbs and is the one whose results last for much longer.
As noted by experts, there are two variations of this method. The first is air-drying, which is best for low-moisture herbs such as marjoram, oregano, rosemary and dill. The second one is drying herbs using an oven or a dehydrator. This method is more suited for herbs that have more moisture in them, such as basil, chives and mint.
Here’s how you can dry your own herbs:
Air-drying
Oven-drying
Preserving herbs doesn’t have to be an excessively complicated task: you just have to know what the herbs will be used for, as well as the current conditions that could affect their drying and preservation time.
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