Wonderous perennial herbs are popping up all around us. Chives, mint, tarragon, sage, oregano and more. Let’s explore how to preserve spring herbs to extend their use and quality.
Storing:
The best way to store herbs in the fridge is to put them in a water-filled jar with a plastic bag over top. The water feeds the herbs, and the bag prevents wilting. This works as well for store-bought herbs.
Drying:
I have a dehydrator, but I don’t use it for herbs. I simply tie up a bunch of cleaned herbs and hang them from my laundry rack, often in paper bags with holes punched in them to keep them clean. Even store-bought herbs like mint, thyme or rosemary will almost always be seen hanging on my laundry rack. Sturdy herbs with woody stems are best suited for dehydration. Culinary tip: 1 TBSP chopped fresh herbs is equal to 1 tsp dried herbs.
Freezing:
Chopped herbs freeze well if suspended in a liquid like water or broth which prevents browning. Many people use ice cube trays for this purpose. Once frozen, the herb-cubes can be put into a labelled freezer bag and kept for later use. I also freeze herbs in the quantities called for in specific recipes. For lamb burgers I chop 2 TBSP cilantro and 1 TBSP mint and freeze them in mini bags so that I can whip up burgers in a moment even in winter. For sage, I dry flat leaves on wax paper in a row. Roll up the row and place in a plaster freezer bag or container.
Compound Butters:
Elevate your cooking with compound butters. Chopped herbs mixed into softened butter, rolled into logs, wrapped in wax paper and plastic wrap, then frozen are handy and really add a pizzazz to food. Chive or mixed herb butters are wonderful with fresh baked bread. A slice of tarragon or rosemary butter on chicken or meat is like stepping into a French bistro.
Infused vinegars:
My favorite infused vinegars are tarragon and chive blossom. Any 5% vinegar can be used. Don’t infuse oil with herbs or garlic as there will be a risk of botulism. Only vinegar for this purpose! Herbs should be clean and sanitized and vinegar brought to 190 degrees before it is decanted into large hot litre jars. I put cheesecloth over the top with an elastic for the marinating time which is about two weeks in a cool place. Once the vinegar tastes the way you like it, strain. Sterilize jars ( I use my atmospheric steam canner). Bring the vinegar up to 190 degrees and pour into the jars. The vinegar will last for up to 3 months. If you want longer-term storage, you can process the jars in a steam or water-bath canner for 10 minutes.
Fresh spring herbs are a delight to the palate. Chopped chives on scrambled eggs. Fresh tarragon in a creamy mustard sauce with chicken. Mint drinks like juleps, mojitos, or tea. Everything tastes better with fresh herbs. But there are also many ways to preserve spring herbs for the entire year.
Martha Rogers
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