Preserving Garden Herbs
Before the cold weather gets here I cut my herbs and preserve them. I have been using my fresh herbs all summer but now it’s time to preserve what is left. I preserve my herbs by dehydrating them and storing them in airtight containers. For the last two days I have dehydrated my sage, thyme and rosemary. I still have parsley to do….a LOT of parsley!
Last year I did a blog all about dehydrating herbs. It is a very informative blog about different methods of dehydrating herbs and which method is the best for certain herbs . Go ahead and check it out and see how simple it is to Preserve Garden Herbs.
Here is the link to last years blog:
http://indianeskitchen.com/2017/06/20/dried-herbs
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
After I dry my herbs, I remove the leaves
from the stems and crush them in a bag.
I will store my dried herbs in an
air tight container in a dark cupboard.
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
Share this:
Categories: Dehydrated
Where do you get your herb drying racks?
I have an Excalibur Dehydrator. It has 9 racks in it with a thermostat. It is amazing because I can make so many things in it such as beef jerky, yogurt etc.
I should have done this… Great post!
Thanks I hate to waste anything…lol
Sturdy herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme I simply drop loosely by the branch into a paper bag. I might toss them occasionally in the bag, but mostly leave them alone and they dry out nicely in a week or so. I use the dehydrator for the more tender herbs like basil, parsley, chives etc.
I’m glad to hear you dehydrate chives! I have them and wan’t sure they would dehydrate very well…thank you! I have only had my Excalibur Dehydrator 2 seasons now so it is still like a toy….lol I dehydrate everything! I even make yogurt in it!
Chives dry out very quickly and come out of the dehydrator a nice green color. The dehydrator I have is an antique inherited from my parents. But it works!
Thank you I am definitely going to do mine then!
I love drying my own herbs. I usually just cut them and bundle – about 4 stems each – and then hang them up in my dark pantry.
Juicier herbs like parsley I usually freeze with a tiny bit of water in these old fashioned ice cube trays. Once I want to use them I just toss the herb cubes in my soup or sauce.
Many greetings from Virginia, ivonne
That is a great idea with freezing the parsley. I grew some last year but used most all of it and didn’t have enough to dehydrate. This year we planted two kinds and I have plenty. I have a large dehydrator with 9 trays so I’m hoping to get a lot dried.
Wow, a dehydrator. That sounds interesting … I lost all my herbs last winter, even the rosemary froze to death. So I’m still recovering and re-planting. I only have a few things on my window sill which are barely enough for cooking.
There are only a few of my herbs that are perennials. The rest are annuals and I replant them every year. Isn’t it wonderful to use your own home grown herbs for cooking?
It’s fantastic! It’s fresh and you know exactly what you are eating. Who knows what’s in the store bought stuff.
Thank you for the info! I want a fresh herb garden next year.
Oh I hope you do! It is so rewarding walking out and cutting whatever herbs you need. I only grow the ones I use a lot but I like to try a new herb every year.
Yes, fresh herbs are the best!
I just love seeing all my little jars filled with our home grown herbs. I always think I will make some for gifts at Christmas but I just keep them for myself…lol I am afraid I will run out with all the cooking that I do. I did give my homemade vanilla extract as gifts though.
Great idea! Quite a money saver too, by drying your own herbs. 🙂
Definitely is a money saver! They charge a fortune for such a little amount!
This is the first year I’ve had herbs plants that actually survived the summer, so I have some some dry, too!
Awesome! It is addicting I keep adding more every year…lol
What a wonderfully useful post. I just love you to bits!🤗 These are the type of tips we all need to know and practice. Here in Egypt the sun takes care of a lot of the drying. We are making units similar to your hydrator to dry all sorts of fruits, vegetables and of course herbs too. 😊
Thank you so much! Last year I dried apples, mushrooms, jalapeños and ground it into powder…etc. This year I haven’t been able to do quite as much. I have a huge dehydrator which makes it so easy. Have a great day!
Do you dry basil as well? I usually make pesto and freeze it b/c I’d heard basil loses so much of it’s flavor dried that it’s not really worth it. Not sure if that true with sweet basil, but this year I did dry some Thai basil and the flavor held up just fine.
Yes I do basil every year…except this year. We bought it from the nursery but they messed up the label and its not the basil I love. I actually made pesto from dried basil and thought it was good last year! I LOVE basil! I am so disappointed I don’t have any to dehydrate😢
I have always loved the name ‘Rosemary’! When I was small I pictured a red tinted gold branch with beautiful little flowers on it!
Great post! It’s a great idea to preserve herbs before the winter!
Good luck with the parsley!
Thanks Jess! Thanks for sharing your beautiful memory!
Welcome!! I really love to relate to something that I have experienced when I read anything! I am so happy you think it as beautiful!
Absolutely!
Thank you for your advice. I have lots of oregano in my garden and I will try it.
I’m so jealous! We couldn’t find oregano plants to buy so I don’t get to dehydrate them this year. Enjoy!
Di do you do all the gardening too? You are so motivated.
No not at all. I have the blueberries, raspberries, asparagus, rhubarb, herbs & strawberries. My husband does the rest. We put a thick layer of straw down so the weeds are at a minimum. My husband does the watering and fertilizing. I just try to keep up on it and that way it never seems like that much work. Our 2-1/2 acres is a labor of love. Thank you Chris you are always so kind!
I envy you and your fresh produce.
Aw thank you Chris. It has taken over 25 years to get our garden the way we want.
That is a smart idea.
Thank you I like free herbs..lol
You sure are a versatile cook Diane … you make everything look effortless!
Aw thanks Linda!
Very interesting blog post. Keep sharing more & more inspiring posts. I hope you will like my latest update about “Shri Kaplaeeshwarar Mahadev Temple” of mylapore chennai India. https://theamazingguide.com/2018/09/06/mylapore-travel-guide-ancient-hinduism-shri-anadi-kapaleeswarar-mahadev-temple/ Plz like & comment for supporting. Thanks.
Thank you for your support and of course I will check yours out!
It is so nice to be prepared for the upcoming season in advance.
It is and I hate to waste these wonderful herbs to frost! I wish they grew fresh all year long.
This is lovely, thanks for sharing. I also save some of the herbs for winter’s in ice cube trays with butter. Then I take out one cube for any dish like a pasta, etc. 😀
You have some great ideas! Thanks for sharing them!
😀🤩
Thanks!