Are you sitting there staring at your basil plant wondering how on earth you are going to use all that basil before it goes bad? Don’t worry, you are not alone! In this blog we are going to talk about two ways to preserve herbs so all your hard work does not go to waste.
Drying Herbs
The first way to preserve herbs is to dry them. This is a super simple way to keep herbs and be able to use them all year long. This is probably the easiest way to preserve herbs and can be done with little to no equipment. First, harvest the herbs in the morning after the dew has evaporated but before the sun gets to hot and the herbs start to wilt. Rinse them off and discard any bruised or discolored herbs.
From this point there are several methods you can use. The first is to simply let them air dry. This method takes a bit longer and works best for less tender herbs like rosemary and thyme. But, it requires no equipment and can be done anywhere inside your home. You can tie the stems together and hang the herbs, or if you have room, you can lay them flat and separated to let them air dry. These herb drying racks work great for this method, or you can just simply lay them on a towel.
The next way to dry the herbs is in the oven. This method is obviously a little faster and great for more tender herbs like basil and mint. Simply lay the leaves flat and separated on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Turn the oven to the lowest setting and cook for a few hours. Check in every little bit to see if the herbs are dried. You know they are ready when they crumble in your hand.
Freezing Herbs
Another great way to preserve herbs is by freezing them. This will help herbs last through the winter. You can simply freeze them by just rinsing, patting dry, and then wrapping the herbs in a freezer bag. This is the quickest way to preserve your herbs and just grab a handful when needed for a dish.
You can also chop up the herbs and then put them in ice cube trays with olive oil. Then when you are cooking with a recipe that calls for that herb, just pop out a tray and heat it in the pan.
I like to do a variation of this with pesto. There is a little more work on the front end, but it makes for having delicious pesto all year. To make pesto, grab 2.5 cups of fresh basil from the vine and wash and destem the leaves. Throw the basil in a food processor with 1/2 a cup of grated parmesan, 1/2 a cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup pine nuts, 2 cloves of garlic, and a little salt and pepper.
Blend until smooth and then scoop into ice trays. Freeze until solid and then you can transfer them to a ziploc in the freezer for storage. This has become a staple in our house! We eat it with chicken, rice, pasta, and whatever else we can think of.
Easy Homemade Pesto
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups fresh basil (stems removed)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor.
- Process on high until fully blended.
- Spoon into ice cube trays.
- Freeze for at least 1 hour and then pop out pesto and add to a ziploc back for storage.
