Storing Fresh Herbs

Herbal heaven

She grew up in Tulsa, where her parents challenged their brood to compete to grow the best vegetables in their backyard. At first, Potter didn’t do well. She was a victim of sabotage by her brothers and sisters: The prize tomato she had eyed as it ripened always ended up in the alley, with a bite taken out of it, when she went to pick it. And the dog got the blame. Herbs add creativity and variety to all courses, even dessert. While Potter had a little more time than on her television segments, she still only had enough time at the library class to prepare a few samples of herbs’ versatility: Mary Anne’s super-easy lavender lemonade, Mary Anne’s mozzarella herbal cheese bread, and Mary Anne’s Italian green herbal salad, with herbal vinaigrette and green garlic salad dressings. Audience members got to sample each at the conclusion of the program. “It’s very hard to mess this up,” she said of the cheese bread. “It’s a great recipe if you’re having folks over for football season and you want to have something that goes a long way and doesn’t cost much. My family loves this, especially in the wintertime, but it’s good to make and to have in barbecue season.

Fresh Herbs: Growing, Buying, Storing, and Enjoying

If you’re hesitant about any new flavor, start with a little less than the recipe indicates. If your an aficionado, lavish your summer fare with herbs to your heart’s content. Use the search tool on VegKitchen to find the many recipes featuring, basil, parsely, dill, oregano, cilantro, and chives.

Whether you grow your own herbs or buy them, here is a harvest of tips and recipes that will help you savor their flavors all season long.

Growing Your Own Whether you’re a seasoned gardener with a green thumb or an amateur who’s all thumbs, an herb garden—even a miniature one located in a windowsill—will reward you with abundant culinary pleasures. Tiny nursery plants started in the garden even in mid-June can yield lush results by midsummer.

A first-time herb gardener would do well to choose a handful of the most common culinary herbs: parsley, dill, basil, a mint, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.

Most herbs thrive in common garden soil in a sunny spot. They need little care or maintainance apart from watering. And they can just as easily be grown iin pots and kept on a sunny porch, patio, or windowsill. One caveat— Plant mints in a separate pot (to contain their roots) before sinking them into your garden’s soil—they are very invasive and can take over a garden within a couple of years. Here’s a nice, concise article on starting herbs indoors from seed, then moving them outdoors, on Harvesting your own herbs can be as simple as growing them, with just a few tips: Herbs are at their peak of flavor just before they flower. You can prolong this peak by nipping off the flower buds. Harvest herb leaves that look tender and plump. Herbal wisdom has it that the best time to pick garden herbs is just after the morning dew has dried, as it’s then that the plant’s essential oils are most concentrated.

Buying Fresh Herbs At produce stands or supermarkets, use the same tools for buying fresh herbs as you would for other fresh produce—your eyes and your sense of smell. They will tell you if the herbs are fresh. The leaves should be plump, uniform in color, shiny (but not waxy) and not wilted or blemished. The aroma should be fresh and stimulating.

Cooking Tips

• Wash herbs well. Soil particles hide in crevices and leaf centers. Even a few granules of dirt can spoil a delicate dish. For large bunches of herbs, bathe the leaves in a bowl of cool water, then dry them well on paper towels before using (a salad spinner is excellent for this purpose).

RT : Hint and Tip - Storing Fresh

? Doll leftovers up with fresh herbs, sauteed mushrooms and onions. Make sure you are storing them in glass containers.

Cooking Soups for Dummies

This is especially true with parsley, basil, cilantro, dill, and mint. Storing fresh herbs Keep fresh herbs in the refrigerator because they are highly ...

Herbs and spices

Store fresh herbs in the refrigerator. Don't wash them until you're ready to use them because they quickly rot. lf herbs are wet, shake off excess moisture, ...

Garden Wisdom & Know-How, Everything You Need to Know to Plant, Grow, and Harvest

Be sure to taste these foods before serving since it may be necessary to add more herbs. Tips for keeping fresh herbs fresh: Bouquets of fresh herbs can be ...

The complete idiot's guide to cooking soups

Working Mother

Freezing All herbs freeze well. Pull or chop off the stems and pack whole ... Since fresh herbs darken and wilt when frozen, use them in cooked foods like ...