Freezing Herbs
by John Yazo
Freezing, drying and steeping are methods that can be used preserve and storing herbs. Freezing usually works best for herbs with soft leaves like basil or parsley and on herbs that are to thick to dry like chives.
Warnings for preserving herbs along with any other crop from your garden or purchased elsewhere are the concerns of pesticides, the use of chemicals in your garden or neighboring areas and improper storing or preserving can cause Botulism. Botulism can be a fatal food poisoning. Some characteristics of Botulism are blurred vision, breathing difficulties, speech problems and progressive paralysis. Without the proper diagnosis and treatment these symptomes can be fatal. Consult your local health department for the proper methods needed to preserve any type of herbs or crops before attempting it.
The first step in preserving herbs along with any crop is to properly harvest them. herbs can be either annual or perennial. Annual herbs can be pulled from the ground, cut the stems or leaves and dispose the roots and any other unwanted portions of the plant in the compost.Perennials are plants that will survive the winter months and have new growth the following season. These herbs need to be harvested by cutting the stems off at the base of the plant, leaving the root system to reproduce a new crop the following year. When harvesting herbs care needs to be taken not to bruise the leaves.
Once the crop has been harvested they need to be carefully cleaned. If there is excessive dirt on them then the best method to clean them is to spray them with a fine mist of water and gently hand wipe them clean. Patting them gently on a dry paper towel will also work in removing access moisture. leaving the herbs to air dry after washing leaves a risk for mildew to accrue. It is best to make sure the herbs are dried off before starting the preserving process.
Herbs should be cleaned the same way as you would for drying. Once they are clean remove the leaves and place them in a freezer bag or other container. All containers should be labeled and dated before storing, most herbs should keep for three months when frozen. To extend the life of herbs that are frozen they will need to be blanched first. This can be simply done by blanching them with boiling hot water for just a few seconds and then quickly cooling them in an ice water bath before packaging them for the freezer. Blanching the herbs before freezing then can extend the storage time to six months.
Another unique method of freezing herbs is to chop the herbs up small, place them in an ice cube tray filling it about one third full and the remaining two thirds with water. Once the herbs are frozen you can remove the cubes as needed for cooking.
If
you would like to comment on this website or have any suggestions
please feel free to contact us
