| Harvesting Herbs: | | | | strong light, |
| | | | either in |
| | | | dark glass jars, in tins, or behind cabinet e-mail |
| Harvest in the morning of a hot and dry | | | | box every Fridays. It's |
| day--wait until the dew | | | | best to |
| is off | | | | throw them |
| the plants. | | | | out after a year and restock with new ones. |
| Snip off the top growth--about 6 inches of stem | | | | Freezing Herbs: |
| below the flower | | | | |
| buds. | | | | |
| Drying Herbs: | | | | Blanch herbs before freezing them. Hold them by |
| | | | their stems |
| | | | with |
| If the leaves are clean, don't wash them--oils are | | | | tongs and dip them in boiling water briefly, |
| lost in the | | | | swishing them around |
| washing | | | | a little. |
| process. If they are dusty, wash briefly under | | | | When their color brightens, remove them from |
| cold | | | | the water. |
| water. | | | | Blot dry |
| Shake off excess water and hang the herbs, | | | | with towels. Remove the stems, chop if you |
| tied in small bunches, | | | | wish, or leave |
| in the | | | | the leaves |
| sun until the water evaporates. | | | | whole. Lay the dried herbs out in a single layer on |
| Hang the bunches (upside down) in a warm, dry | | | | wax |
| place that is well | | | | paper and |
| ventilated | | | | roll or fold the paper so there is a layer of paper |
| and free from strong light. To prevent dust from | | | | separating |
| accumulating, put | | | | each layer |
| them in a brown paper bag that you've punched | | | | of herbs. Then pack, paper and all, in freezer |
| some holes in to | | | | bags or wrap |
| increase | | | | in freezer-rated |
| circulation. | | | | plastic wrap. To use, break off as much as you |
| If you don't hang them up, remove the stems | | | | need and use |
| and dry them on | | | | frozen. |
| baking sheets, | | | | You can also thaw them out in the |
| window screens covered with clear sheeting or | | | | refrigerator--they will keep |
| cheesecloth, or | | | | for about |
| even on a | | | | a week. |
| towel. | | | | You can freeze individual portions of herbs by |
| You can also dry herbs in a food dryer. For the | | | | making ice cubes |
| best | | | | out of |
| flavor, the | | | | them. Prepare your herbs by removing the |
| temperature in the dryer should stay under 105 | | | | stems and |
| degrees F. | | | | chopping, and |
| Storing Herbs: | | | | then pack them into ice cube trays. Cover with |
| | | | boiling |
| | | | water (to |
| Leaves may be crushed before they are stored | | | | blanch them) and freeze. When frozen, remove |
| away, but they | | | | the cubes from |
| retain their | | | | the trays |
| oils better if they are kept whole and crushed | | | | and store in freezer bags.Rachel Paxton is a |
| right before they | | | | freelance writer and mom who is the author of |
| are used. | | | | What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing |
| Herbs should be stored in a cool place, out of | | | | more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. |