Preserving Herbs From Your Garden
by John Yazo
Air drying herbs is the easiest and most common method of preserving . Freezing and steeping are two other methods that can be used to preserve and store herbs. Each of these methods has it's own benefit.
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.
Air drying is best when tiering in bunches with no more than ten stems. Bunching to many together will only prevent or reduce the amount of air circulation that is needed to dry them properly. Hang the tied bunches in a dry, dark, well ventilated area that is warm but not humid. The ideal temperature for drying herbs is sixty eight degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a natural dark location that meets the temperature needed to dry your herbs it can be easily created by covering the herbs with a brown paper bag. The bag will need to have hole punctured in it to allow for the proper air circulation and ventilation. This method of drying can take anywhere from one week to three weeks depending on the type of herb and it's leaf thickness.Once the herbs have dried enough that when they crumble in your hand they are ready to be stored in an air tight container.
If you would like to comment on this website or have any suggestions please feel free to contact us
