You’ve nourished your herbs and lovingly watched as they developed from seeds and grew into beautiful plants. Your herbs are a joy to grow and your efforts will be rewarded with their many exceptional uses. Yes, your house herb garden was a little work but it’s been well worthwhile.
Harvesting
Now it is time to harvest and recognizing when your herbs are prepared is a really major key to maximizing their gains. Elements like the heat and the wind can rob plant oils that are significant. So try to choose a midsummer morning that’s dry and calm to collect your bounty. Herbs don’t produce as much oil on days which are extremely wet. On the harvesting morning wait until the dew dries out of the herb leaves, and just before its blossoms opening, to harvest your own herbs. By the way, we are not talking about digging up the entire plant at this point. We only want to take the quantity of herb leaves which we desire, either for current use or to preserve them for a later use. It’s important not to remove greater than a third of the leaves during one harvest. Your crops will continue their expansion by taking no more foliage than that. Also, before harvesting, be sure and check for insects and injured leaves before harvesting.
Generally, folks maintain their erections in three ways: a salt or vinegar retention medium, freezing, or drying.
Preserving Herbs Using a Medium
Herbs such as basil, chopped mint, or tarragon can be preserved for many months by simply covering with vinegar. You may also alternate layers of fresh herbs and flavored salt to preserve herbs. Once they’re totally dry, divide the herbs from the salt and put in an airtight container. Certainly, herbs are most often used fresh from the garden. Just make sure to wash the herbs before use in your favourite recipes. A excellent way to wash herbs fresh from the garden is to place them into a sink or bowl containing cool water. The sink is certainly the way to go if you’re cleaning a reasonable number of herbs. You’ll also need to add about two tablespoons of salt to the water. This will drive away any pests without damaging the herbs. Now you can dry your herbs in a salad spinner or a system of your choosing.
Drying Herbs
Easy Steps for Drying Herbs
- Take 6 -12 stalks and pair them together. Check the bottom of the stems and remove any foliage.
- Tie the bundle with a string
- Then hang them in a cool location apart from sunlight.
Drying Individual Leaves
- Use a rack or display to place the leaves on
- Flip the leaves frequently so that they dry properly
You can even use an appliance such as a dehydrator, microwave, or oven to the drying process but lots of individuals have found this process to be less satisfying.
Freezing Herbs
- Cut into quarter inch segments.
- Place them onto a wax paper lined baking sheet.
- Put them in the freezer
- Once frozen, place the herbs in a freezer bag and return them into the freezer until needed.
Remember, each herb is exceptional in its own uses. Each herb has its own instructions in using, harvesting, and chopping as well. Learning about the herbs you’re growing will enable you to use them properly and enjoy the most benefits your home herb garden is guaranteed to provide.
