(angelakatharina / Shutterstock.com)
There is nothing like adding home-grown spices to season your favorite soups and dishes! Whether you are growing your spices on your windowsill or balcony, or have plants in the garden outside, harvesting herbs and seeds is a real pleasure.
To enjoy your herbs and spices long-term, they are easy to dry and store, especially over the winter months. Of all the DIY methods, air drying is considered the best, according to The Spruce. Air drying is the easiest, least expensive way to dry herbs, and as it is a slow process, it helps maintain those essential oils, which translates into better flavor.
Air drying works best with herbs that have a low moisture content such as rosemary, summer savory, thyme, oregano, marjoram, dill, and bay.
How to Air Dry Herbs
First, gather your herbs. The best time to pick them is mid-morning, after the morning dew has dried and before the heat of the day sets in. To obtain the best flavor, harvest them before they flower.
Remove about one third of the plant at a time. Shake off any debris or soil and pick off dead or diseased leaves. Then bundle about four to six stalks together, ensuring air can circulate among them, and place them in a brown paper bag that is punctured with holes and sealed. Label and hang upside down in a warm, airy room.
If you are harvesting seeds such as dill, fennel, coriander, caraway, or cumin, wait until the seeds on the plant look dry. Then cut the stalks and shake them into a bag to collect the seed pods. Label and store in a dry, airy place.
You can also hang the bundles upside down indoors in a cool, dry place. Balcony Garden Web suggests hanging them in an attic. However the bundles look very picturesque when displayed around your kitchen, offering that true homesteader look!
(Anna Jurkovska / Shutterstock.com)
How to Store Dry Herbs
Once your air-dried herbs are ready, crush them, then place them in labeled airtight containers, according to The Spruce. If you store them away from direct sunlight, they should last for up to one year.
Now you can enjoy the fruits of your garden year-round. And when winter comes, and you reach for that bottle of tarragon or sage, you will still be able to savor the fruits of your labor!
(MAHATHIR MOHD YASIN/ Shutterstock.com)
Drying in the Freezer
For higher-moisture content, such as basil, chives, mint, and tarragon, simply throw the sprigs into the freezer, according to Balcony Garden Web.
The Pioneer Woman offers an ingenious way of storing your herbs so that they are ready to add to a stew, soup or top on mashed potatoes: simply freeze them in olive oil! This method works best with rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme.
Chop the herbs and half fill the ice cube trays with the herbs, then pour on olive oil until full. Cover with plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer. After they are frozen, store the herb cubes in a container for future use.
(New Africa / Shutterstock.com)
