Preserving Herbs
Dry-freezing: coarse herbs including rosemary, sage and thyme. Strip the leaves from the stalk and pack into small plastic bags, extract the air and freeze.
Ice-Freezing: soft herbs including parsley, basil, tarragon and chives. Chop the herb finely and pack into ice-cube trays, top up with water and freeze. If you have lots to freeze, transfer to a plastic bag when frozen and then take out as and when you need them. You will find the herbs discolour during freezing, but a certain amount of flavour remains.
- Basil - Dry or Ice-freeze. Cut stems 6 to 8 inches above ground when plant starts to flower. Hang upside down in warm, dry, dark room, or dry individual leaves on cheesecloth or netting screens. When dry, leaves crumble easily. Store whole or crushed in airtight containers. To freeze, wash leaves, pack in ice cube trays and fill with water. When frozen, remove cubes and store in plastic bags. Defrost in a strainer and use as fresh.
- Bay - Dry or Ice-freeze. Dry on the branch, take off the leaves and store in an airtight container. To freeze, see basil.
- Chervil - Dry or Ice-freeze. Pick only young, fresh leaves to dry. To dry or freeze, see basil.
- Chives - Dry-freeze OR ice-freeze. Use leaves fresh by snipping off the tops with scissors. Chives lose their color and flavor when dried. To freeze, wash and chop finely, then continue as for basil.
- Dill - Dry or Ice-freeze. Cut young leaves and spread in a thin layer to dry until brittle. Crumble leaves and store in an airtight container. To collect seeds, cut flower umbel stalks or pull entire plant from ground. Hang upside down in a sunny place to dry. Shake seeds out when dry. Store in airtight containers.
- Fennel. - Dry. Young stems can be used like celery. Pick young leaves to dry, as for basil. Cut off flower stems before seeds fall. Hang over a cloth in a warm, dry place until seeds can be shaken out. Store in airtight containers.
- Garlic
- Horseradish
- Marjoram - Dry or Dry-Freeze. Cut stems just before buds begin to flower, leaving a few leaves to send up another crop. Tie in bundles and dry in an airy, shady place. When dry, crumble and store in airtight containers. To freeze, pack small bunches in plastic bags and place in freezer. Blanch before freezing if storing more than 2-3 months.
- Mint - Dry or Ice-freeze. Pick young, fresh leaves to dry. Hang in bunches in a warm, dry place away from strong sunlight. When dry, crumble and store in airtight containers. To freeze, see basil.
- Parsley - Dry, Dry-freeze OR ice-freeze. Parsley can be dried as for basil, but the flavor is better if frozen. To freeze, see basil.
- Rosemary - Dry or Dry-freeze.Dry on the branch and then strip off the leaves, crumble and store in airtight containers.
- Sage - Dry or Dry-Freeze. Dry on the branch and then strip off the leaves. Pick leaves in spring before flower buds form, or flavor becomes musty. Hang in bunches in a warm, dry place away from strong sun. When dry, crumble and store in airtight containers. To freeze, pack in small plastic bags. To store more than three months, blanch before freezing.
- Tarragon - Ice-freeze. To dry, see mint. To freeze, see sage.
- Thyme - Dry or Dry-freeze. Dry on the branch and then strip off the leaves. Cut sprigs before the plant flowers. Hang in a dry, shady place for a few weeks, then rub leaves from stems and store in airtight containers. To freeze, see sage.
