I love my summer herb garden, and my local summer farmer’s market. Fresh herbs’ availability this time of year makes me want to cook more. I happily harvest my herbs from June when the dill is growing high, to September when most of the herbs are still thriving. As the weather gets colder, it breaks my heart to abandon them to the frosts. I have tried various methods of keeping them viable to use in the winter and spring when it’s too cold where I live for them to be outside. Here are some tips for keeping fresh herbs fresh and tasty, and on how to preserve them to use in the winter.
Tips to keep your fresh picked herbs fresh and usable for as long as possible:
Basic herb information:
There are two types of herbs – ‘leafy skinny stem’ herbs like basil, cilantro, and parsley and these keep two to three weeks after picking, and ‘hard stem’ herbs like rosemary, oregano, and thyme and these keep one to two weeks after picking.
- Choose fresh herbs that look the perkiest with unmarred, plump, and alert leaves and stems. These are the herbs that will last the longest in your refrigerator or freezer.
- If you plan on using them within a few days, give the stems a snip and put them in a jar or glass on a counter, with water. Basil and mint are very happy to be treated like flowers in this way.
- If you want to keep them in the refrigerator they will last for a couple of weeks unless they are too moist. Rinse them off and then dry them as well as you can. Some people use a salad spinner, or you can gently use paper towels. Put them in an oversized bag that will give them some air and put in a paper towel which will absorb any extra moisture.
- If you are growing the herbs, it’s best to harvest them early in the day. If you like a few hydroponic herb plants, trim any wilted leaves and rotting roots from the plant when you get it home. Put the plant in fresh water on a windowsill for indirect light. Change the water every other day.
Tips to preserve herbs to use in winter:
The best way to harvest herbs to store for winter is to cut them before they flower, cut them in the morning, and harvest the lower, outer leaves first.
Drying herbs
For hearty (hard stem) herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage it is best to dry them for use in the winter.
To dry the herbs, follow these steps:
- Wash the herbs and pat them dry.
- Tie the stems into loose bunches and hang them upside down in a warm, dark, and well-ventilated place for 1-2 weeks. For a faster drying method, lay individual leaves on paper towels, cover with another layer of leaves and microwave in short bursts (1-3 minutes) checking them every 20 seconds.
- Once the leaves are completely dry and brittle they can be stored in an airtight container.
Freezing herbs:
Freezing herbs is easy and does preserve their flavor and freshness. There are several ways to freeze herbs- freezing in oil or water, or freezing the herbs by themselves.
The simplest method of freezing herbs is to freeze them without a liquid.
- Lay the herbs on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze for at least 8 hours.
- Once frozen, place the herbs in a Ziploc bag or container and keep in the freezer until needed.
Basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano freeze well in oil. Follow these steps:
- Remove the herb leaves from their stalks and chop them.
- Fill ice cube trays halfway up with packed herbs and fill the rest of the way up with a good extra virgin olive oil.
- Cover the trays with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours.
- Remove the cubes from the trays when they are frozen and put them into a sealed container until you need to use them.
- The herb and oil cubes are easy to add to soups, sauces, pastas and stews.
Parsley, cilantro, and chives are fine to freeze in water with the following steps:
- Prepare the herbs based on the way you plan on using them. Chives, for example, would be chopped into small pieces.
- Fill an ice cube tray ¼ full of herbs and ¾ with fresh water and freeze.
- Before using an herb cube, put the cube in water and let the water melt, and add herbs directly to your recipe if a little extra water won’t be an issue to the recipe.
See earlier ASE articles on herbs:
Growing Greens and Micro Herbs and Greens at Home Outside and In
“A man’s nature runs either to herbs or to weeds…” Francis Bacon
