If you’ve been growing herbs in your garden or found some naturally flourishing in your backyard, you can easily save the extras to use all year round. Here’s how you can do it:
Start by drying the herbs properly, which is one of the quickest and simplest ways to preserve them. Herbs can be dried through methods like air drying or using a dehydrator, and once dried, they can also be stored in oils or tinctures.
Growing your own herbs is not only cost-effective but also assures you they’re organic. Store-bought herbs can be pricey and often come in small amounts. If certain herbs don’t grow in your area, buying in bulk from quality suppliers can also save you money, but growing and drying your own is the most economical approach.
In cooking, herbs usually mean the leaves of plants, which can be used fresh or dried. Spices generally come from other parts of plants, like bark or seeds, and are used dried. Almost all herbs and spices can be dried at home and kept for about a year, although some keep their flavor better when frozen.
The first step in preserving is harvesting them correctly. Pick herbs in the morning before 10 AM for the strongest flavor. Choose fresh leaves and avoid any that are wilted or discolored. Harvest seeds when they turn brown but before they naturally fall, and trim flowers right after they bloom.
There are several effective methods for drying herbs. You can hang them in bunches or use a screen, like cheesecloth over a wooden frame, in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Oven drying can be tricky as it requires a low temperature, while a good food dehydrator is efficient for drying herbs quickly and preserving their quality. However, I don’t recommend using a microwave due to its inefficiency and problems with moisture-rich herbs.
To maintain the flavor of dried herbs, don’t crumble them until you’re ready to use them, except when making pre-mixed herb blends. Store dried herbs in clean jars with airtight lids, and label them immediately to easily identify them later. Remember, dried herbs are usually more concentrated than fresh ones, so use less if a recipe specifies fresh herbs.
Here’s a tip: some herbs like basil, cilantro, mint, chives, and parsley keep their color and flavor better when frozen. Simply chop them finely, pack them into ice cube trays, cover with water or olive oil, and freeze. Store the frozen herb cubes in airtight containers—they’re perfect for soups or cooked dishes.
Have you tried preserving or drying herbs? Which ones have worked for you?
