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How do you preserve these herbs?

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jjdbike

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Hey friends,

Fall - temps seem like they’re here to stay.

i think I’d better harvest my herbs before they become unusable.

How should I preserve/ store the following herbs:

Greek Oregano

Cuban Oregano 

Basil (not pesto)

Thyme 

Rosemary 

Italian Parsley  

Chives

Bunching onions

mint

I do not have a dehydrator but if it would be useful, I’m open to getting one.

Looking forward to your replies.

Thanks in advance.

JD

 

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Dehydrator would be your best bet. They're not that expensive either. You can use the oven to dehydrate too. If the temp doesn't go low enough you can keep the door cracked to adjust the temp. Or how about vacuum sealing and freezing? That way the herbs are more "fresh" instead of dehydrated

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For basil, rosemary and thyme we just pick, cut or pull the plant.  Then we shake all the bugs out, go through the leaves for quality control and then wrap handfuls of the herb leaves or stems in wax paper.  Into freezer bags and thats about it.  When we take a pack out of of the freezer we just crumple however much we want and stuff the remainder back into the freezer.  These are the only 3 herbs we grow with the intent of freezing like this.  They all seem to stay fresh, they smell delightful and we can crumble to what ever size we want, fine or course.  The stems of frozen thyme and rosemary separate easily and can be picked out.  Our crock pot concoctions are great. Pasta dishes too. And the soups and stews. Oh yeah. Aromatic and flavorful.  We get asked what make it all so good. Its the fresh herbs.

 

And the wine.

 

We have a dehydrator, a nice one.  We don't do herbs in it and we don't hang them upside down to dry. We did and we found we liked freezing better. Easier, and seems closer to fresh than dried.

Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes.
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9 hours ago, Shadhead said:

For basil, rosemary and thyme we just pick, cut or pull the plant.  Then we shake all the bugs out, go through the leaves for quality control and then wrap handfuls of the herb leaves or stems in wax paper.  Into freezer bags and thats about it.  When we take a pack out of of the freezer we just crumple however much we want and stuff the remainder back into the freezer.  These are the only 3 herbs we grow with the intent of freezing like this.  They all seem to stay fresh, they smell delightful and we can crumble to what ever size we want, fine or course.  The stems of frozen thyme and rosemary separate easily and can be picked out.  Our crock pot concoctions are great. Pasta dishes too. And the soups and stews. Oh yeah. Aromatic and flavorful.  We get asked what make it all so good. Its the fresh herbs.

 

And the wine.

 

We have a dehydrator, a nice one.  We don't do herbs in it and we don't hang them upside down to dry. We did and we found we liked freezing better. Easier, and seems closer to fresh than dried.

Thanks, will try freezing in wax paper.

Would that work for oregano & sage too?

JD

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Basil, freeze, Maybe the mint too.

 

Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary, short of a dehydrator, bunch it and hang it.

 

Rosemary in a ziplock lasts a long time in the fridge. Parsley, bunched and with a wet paper towel around the base of the stems and then in a supermarket produce bag will last a few weeks.

 

Chives and bunching onions, I guess you could dry those.

 

Sage, again hang it and dry it.

 

Of course, many of these you could dig up, put in pots, and keep them on a windowsill or 3 season porch.

 

 

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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I don't see why not. Give it a try. We don't wash the herbs before freezing, we just sort through and pull any leaves or stems that don't look right. From picking to freezer happens within an hour. We don't have to worry about mold from improper drying. Simple and works for us. We've never grown sage or oregano but maybe next year we'll give it a try too.

Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes.
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27 mins ago, Shadhead said:

I don't see why not. Give it a try. We don't wash the herbs before freezing, we just sort through and pull any leaves or stems that don't look right. From picking to freezer happens within an hour. We don't have to worry about mold from improper drying. Simple and works for us. We've never grown sage or oregano but maybe next year we'll give it a try too.

Thanks,

Will certainly give it a try, although we will wash before freezing.

JD

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Cut the herb, pull off leaves, wash & spin water off, put on screen; then because I don’t have a dehydrator, it goes in a dark closet with a small fan for about a week or so. Then to a glass jar with the lid ajar (ha). After the leaves are dry give them some air for a while (W/ the lid ajar) to insure that the moisture is out of  them so mold does not take hold and ruin your crop.

 

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