Herbs

1
Herbs
2
herbs

• grow in temperate areas of the world
• leaves and seeds are used to flavor foods
• flavor comes from oils in the cell walls

3
methods of preservation

• drying
• freezing
• oil
• vinegar
• herb jelly

4
when to harvest

• peak oil
• just before the flowers first open, when they are
  in the bursting bud stage
• early morning after dew has evaporated
• discard any spotty or damaged leaves
• rinse herbs in cool water to remove livestock and
  soil and gently shake to remove excess moisture

5
drying

• easiest method of preserving herbs
• methods
• air drying / hanging
• dehydrator
• microwave
• oven

6
herb type

• less tender herbs
• rosemary, sage, thyme, summer savory and parsley
• easy to air dry
• tender leaf herbs
• basil, oregano, lemon balm, mints
• high moisture content and will mold if not dried
  quickly

7
air drying

• warm, dry, airy, dark room
• hanging long stemmed herbs
• paper bag with holes will keep dust off
  and collect any seeds

• trays short stems and small leaves
• will take 1 to 2 weeks

8
dehydrator

• temperature and air circulation can be controlled
• spread herbs in a single layer on tray, leaves
  attached to stems
• dry two to ten hours at 100F
• check periodically, drying times vary
• herbs are dry when they crumble and stems break
  when bent

9
oven

• lay the herbs on a paper towel, without allowing
  leaves to touch
• cover with another towel and layer of leaves -
  five layers may be dried at a time
• dry in a very cool oven
• oven light of an electric range or the pilot
  light of a gas range furnished enough heat for
  overnight drying
• leaves dry flat and retain good color

10
Microwave

• works well for small amounts
• place between paper towels
• medium setting for 2 -3 minutes
• check for dryness and repeat at 30 second
  intervals
• leaves should be brittle and crumble easily
• requires careful attention!

11
storing dried herbs

• leave whole and crumple as needed, or coarsely
  crumpled before
• seeds can be stored whole and ground as needed
• place in airtight containers
• if condensation forms, drying is not complete
• store in a cool, dry, dark area to protect color
  and fragrance
• label each - they will look alike when dried!
• shelf life is generally one to two years
• according to Penzeys herb and spice catalog old
  spices never go bad, they just fade away

12
using dried herbs

• dried herbs are stronger than fresh
• general rule dried herbs 3 to 4 times fresh

13
(No Transcript)
14
freezing

• freezing is best for herbs with soft, lush green
  leaves
• basil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, , mint,
  parsley, sweet cicely
• will become limp in the process, but their flavor
  and color will be intact
• to blanch or not to blanch?

15
freezing, cont

• sprigs can be frozen directly
• OR chop finely, put in ice cube trays and top
  with water.
• put into labeled, sealed containers
• in most cases you will not need to thaw before
  use
• use in the same proportion as fresh herbs

16
oil

• garlic in oil
• health risk
• must be stored in refrigerator!
• vegetables and herbs in oil
• less documentation
• best made fresh
• dried tomatoes and dried herbs less of a safety
  concern
• still recommended to store these in the fridge
• freezing herbs in oil

17
herb vinegar

• advantages
• which vinegar?
• which herbs?
• fruits vegetables
• spices
• experiment!

18
how to prepare

• be clean!
• seeds or leaves?
• jars and lids
• only glass jars or bottles free of cracks or
  nicks
• tight fitting non-reactive lids
• wash thoroughly, sterilize in boiling water 10
  minutes
• herbs
• wash fresh herbs gently in cold water
• lightly bruise leaves to shorten process, if
  desired
• amount varies widely
• vinegar
• heat to just below boiling point, around 195 F

19
how to prepare, cont

• filling
• place prepared herbs, fruits and/or spices into
  jars
• avoid overpacking
• pour vinegar over ingredients, leaving ¼ inch
  headspace
• wipe rims of jars, attach lids or cords
• steeping
• let sit for 3 to 4 weeks to develop flavors
• dark, cool location
• straining
• will clarify product
• use damp cheesecloth (triple layer), nylon jelly
  bag, coffee filter
• storing
• keep out of direct sunlight

20
how to use your vinegar

• substitute in any recipe with vinegar
• drizzle over freshly steamed vegetables
• make a vinaigrette dressing
• dip for bread
• marinades
• dilute in small amount of water and drink!

21
herb jelly

• To make an herb infusion
• combine fruit juice or water and herbs
• heat to boiling point, do not boil
• remove from heat and let steep, covered, for 20
  minutes
• discard herbs

22
basil

• drying
• hang to dry
• freezing
• blanching works well
• ice cube trays
• oil
• pesto

23
chives

• drying
• dont retain much flavor or color
• freezing
• chop and put on try or in ice cube trays with
  water
• will retain fresh-like flavor and color for one
  year
• vinegar

24
coriander/cilantro

• growing
• seeds or leaves?
• seeds
• shake seed heads into a paper bag
• dry completely in a cool dark place
• store in freezer
• leaves
• drying results in a loss of flavor
• freezing works better

25
dill

• drying
• hang branches in bunches
• hang seed heads inside ventilated paper bag to
  catch seeds
• freezing
• freezes best when still attached to stalk
• will retain fresh-like flavor and color for one
  year
• vinegar
• pickling

26
lavender

• harvest
• when flowers nearly open
• drying
• tie and hang in bundles
• spread out flat
• cooking
• add fresh or dried to baked goods or jelly
• mix flowers with black tea

27
mint

• dries well
• hang upside down or dry in dehydrator
• peppermint will hold its fragrance and flavor
  better than other mints when dries
• uses
• tea
• mint jelly

28
oregano

• drying
• best way to preserve
• hang stems or spread out flat
• strip leaves onto fruit leather insert from
  dehydrator
• freezing
• oregano pesto
• vinegar

29
rosemary

• harvest
• anytime
• drying
• hang stems or spread out flat
• freezing
• freeze in whole sprigs
• overwinter indoors

30
sage

• harvest
• before buds form
• drying
• hang stems or spread out flat
• freezing
• blanch before freezing if storing for more than 3
  months