What do you do with your extra herbs?

[loopyloo]

My Husband and I were just talking about getting our herb garden going again. We talked about the herbs we use and how different the fresh herbs are. We have a great store by us that gets fresh clippings in every day but it is still just not the same.

Our last herb garden went out of control and we had way to much. If it was in our yard it wouldnt have been so bad but this was in our house. We decided that the best option for us would be to grow in smaller pots and then have an area to dry the extra herbs. We figured we could store them for a while dryed and in the freezer. When our plants got out of control big we could move them into the yard and if they didnt survive the move we have a supply save up to start the process all over again.

I should say that I have bad luck at moving indoor plants outdoor so that is why we made the back up plan.

What do you so with your extra herb bounty?

 

[Tam]

I dry all my herbs on a cookie sheet on my wood stove. They dry very fast then I crumble them and put them in jars in my spice cupboard to use.

 

[Jed]

The herbs I like to keep such as oregano an lemon verbena I put into brown paper bags to dry slowly upstairs in a warm place. I leave one side of the bag open to allow air in and stir from time to time with my hand. Once dried I put them into jars.
Years ago I made a drying cupboard with frames and stocking stretched over them as shelves .The cupboard didn't have a bottom and had a grill near the top to allow air movement. I found the paper bag method worked equally as good.
Drying herbs slowly and in the dark is recommended, though I have found basil an exception to this rule as it has a tendency to go brown/black once picked.Faster drying such as the woodstove method would be better suited for basil.

 

[maddie]

I have herbs growing in containers, they are just enough for our consumption. I do dry herbs in cookie sheets in the microwave and store them. I love fresh herbs, so I have a few containers of herbs growing all through the year under grow lights. The green lights are more suitable for herbs.
Herbs like Dill, basil, thyme etc, can all be dried and used. Pulverize them in a hand mill and store them in airtight containers. These are any day better than store bought ones.

 

[Powerflower]

I like to keep a little windowsill herb garden for adding fresh herbs to dishes. But last year we had similar problem with cilantro growing out of control.
I now wish I had harvested it before it flowered as it seems

Where do you get the jars to keep them in? How long do they last?

 

[Jessi]

I dry or freeze mine, too. I occasionally give some away as well because everybody loves fresh herbs. I have never tried to move any outdoors, but if I got overrun, I'd probably try a much smaller startup the following year to avoid it.

 

[loopyloo]

We are getting the grow light out this week and are going to start the seeds right after then. We have cold winters and I miss my garden so much wile we cant grow there. We have decided on basil for sure. It is a favorite of ours. We might even do two pots so we get enough to set some aside. I was shocked when I went to look at the seeds and realized that there were a million different varieties of each kind of herb. Im wondering if some grow in pots better then others. The others herbs Im planning on are oregano and thyme. We use sage when we cook poultry but my friend has a bush of it that I can get most all summer. It might be worth it to just save the space and use hers.

 

[ChanellG]

I used to dry herbs when I had too much, but I usually ended up not using them. If I have too much of something (like the Thai basil that took over recently) I just give it away to friends.

 

[gwydion]

It really depends on the herbs. For most herbs, if you dry them then they lose their volatile oils and they have not taste. The two notable exceptions to this being sage and oregano (in fact, oregano often tastes better if dried). For herbs like mint, I chop them very finely and then freeze them as ice cubes. That way they can be added as a flavouring or made into mint sauce without having to thaw.

Aromatic herbs like lavender, rosemary and thyme make excellent flavoured vinegars and oils (just stick them in a bottle of oil or vinegar and allow to mature for a couple of months). Most herbs can be chopped and frozen and this is the best way to retain their flavour. Another old-fashioned way of preserving herbs is to make herbed butter. Chop the herbs finely, mix with garlic and a little salt to a paste then mash with butter until you the mixture is smooth. Shape into a log, refrigerate until firm then slice into pats and freeze. This is an excellent way of keeping parsley, lemon thyme and fennel (basically any herb you would use with fish) and you have an instant fish sauce by just laying a pat on your cooked fish prior to serving.

 

[ChanellG]

Lavender vinegar? I can't imagine what that tastes like. My lavender is very young so it will be a while before it flowers, but I will definitely have to keep that in mind.

I have used dried basil as an additive to glycerin when making melt and pour soaps and it works great! Next year I will have to try my hand at flavored oils and vinegars.

 

[lovinglife]

ummmm lavender ice cream......

 

[alreenaw]

When I grow my herbs, I always have extra. I usually dry some for use later. I also share a lot with friends and family. Lavender ice cream sounds delicious, I might have to try that.

 

[JaimieSkye]

I dry some of them and others I put in melted butter, then freeze in ice cube trays. I take them out as needed. I had tried to bring my herbs in for the winter and they all died within weeks of bringing them in. Now I don't have anything dried or in the freezer. Next year I think I'm going to try putting some in olive oil.

 

[firelily99]

Throughout the summer I cut, tie and hang them in a shady spot in the garage. For Christmas I get some pretty jars, label them and give them away for presents. I've seen how specialty oils can be made but I've never gone that far with them. The herbs make super gifts for cooking friends.

 

[Gardener]

I dry all my herbs on a cookie sheet on my wood stove. They dry very fast then I crumble them and put them in jars in my spice cupboard to use.

This is exactly what I tend to do, however, I put them on a tray, lay them in the sun and they dry by themselves. Once a week passes, the herbs are usually dry enough to be crumbled, and that's when I put it in a glass jar and keep it at the back of the shelves. Also, a tip for everyone is to putting other 'things' around your herbs jar because they can easily get oxidized when exposed to light, which will make the lose their taste and flavour.