Harvesting Herbs from Your Home Herb Garden
You have planted the herbs in your home herb garden and watched them grow and flourish. They are extremely useful in so many ways. But, using herbs from a home herb garden requires a little bit or work first.
In order to use the herbs you will need to harvest them first. Timing is a huge factor. Wind and sunlight deprives the herbs of their essential oils. You should choose a calm and dry morning during midsummer to harvest your home herb garden. Herbs produce little oil during the wet season.
Harvest the herbs just after the dew has dried form the leaves right before the flowers open. Harvesting the herb does not mean removing the entire plant. Remember that you are only taking a small amount of the plant for domestic use.
You don’t necessarily have to use the herbs right after you have harvested them from your home herb garden. You can store them for future use. Be careful not to take more than one third of the plant’s foliage at one time. It needs a healthy foliage for the plant to replenish its lost nutrients. You should also check the plants for pests and rotten leaves before you harvest them.
There are three ways you can preserve your herbs after harvesting your home herb garden: by drying, freezing or preserving them in salt or vinegar. In order to dry herbs you need to bundle six to twelve stems together and remove any foliage near the base of the stems. You can secure the bundle with string. Hang the bundle in a cool location away from sunlight.
If you are looking to dry individual leaves you can place them on a screen or a rack. Remember to turn them often in order for them to dry properly. Some people have even used artificial ways like dehydrators, ovens or microwaves to dry their herbs.
Freezing is another simple way to preserve herbs. Cut them into ¼ inch pieces and place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Once the herbs are frozen, you can place them together in a bag and store them in the freezer until use.
The third way to preserve your herbs is by using a growth medium. Herbs like chopped mint, basil or tarragon, for example, can be stored for several months using vinegar. Or you can make a flavored salt to preserve herbs by alternating layers of fresh herbs between salt. When completely dry, separate the brown herb from the salt then place it in an airtight container.
Of course, people often use herbs fresh right out of their home herb garden. Take care cleaning the herbs before they are placed fresh in recipes. In order to clean fresh herbs place them in a bowl filled with cool water. If there is a large quantity of herbs you can use the sink. Place about two tablespoons of salt in the water. The salt in the water will drive away insects without damaging the plant. Remove the herbs from the water and dry them in a salad spinner.
Different kinds of herbs in a home herb garden are used for many different purposes. Each different type of herb has their own list of instructions on how to use, harvest, and chop them. Make sure to research the specific type of herb you are using to use it correctly.
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For Food Storage Secrets for All you favorite herbs, click here.
