Instant Gourmet - making herbal butter!

I was surfing the net the other day and ran across a quote from a Gourmet Cooking blog.  They said “Herb butters are among the small but important details offered by fine restaurants and appreciated by gourmet diners.”  Reading that reminded me that the first items I experimented with after harvesting from my original herb garden were Herb Butters.

Herbal Butter is a simple, fun and easy way to experiment with different herbs.  It helps you to realize the tastes and the flavor families.

The best part about herbal butter is you can use either salted or unsalted butter or even margarine or butter substitutes.  You can also use fresh or dried herbs.  That makes them a great item to make in the winter when you are missing fresh herbs and planning your herb garden for next year.

How to Craft Herb Butter

 When using fresh herbs instead of dried herbs double the amount used in a recipe calling for dried herbs, as dry herbs have a more intense flavor.  The general rule in making herbal butter is: Use 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh herbs; 1-1/2 teaspoons of dried herbs or 1/2 teaspoon of ground seeds like dill seed, fennel seed etc. for every 4 ounces or 1/2 cup of butter which has been softened to room temperature.

Herb butters can be used to flavor to cooked foods, a way to rev-up your morning toast, or even as an appetizer on crackers.  They can be made in advance, kept in the refrigerator for days or frozen and kept for months. I used to make a bunch at one time, roll them into a ball or pack them into a ramekin and freeze them.  Then when friends stopped by, I grab one out, let it thaw and serve.  They all thought I was a genius and I was just thrifty, by making extra every time I made herb butter.

Some suggestions to get you started

Basil Butter:  1 tablespoon dried basil and 1-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley. Use on green beans, summer squash or zucchini. It is equally delicious on top of poached eggs, noodles or for sautéed fish.

Fine Herbs Butter:  1-1/2 teaspoon parsley; 3/4 teaspoon tarragon; 1/2 teaspoon rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon chives. This is delicious on cheese and egg dishes or can be used on fish, meats, or vegetables.

Mint Butter:  Combine 1 tablespoon of mint and 1 tablespoon of lemon choice with the butter. Add the lemon juice gradually to prevent curdling. This is ideal with lamb or can be used on new potatoes, carrots or green peas.

Mixed Herb Butter:  Add 3/4 teaspoons of each of the following dried herbs – chervil, chives, dill, mint and tarragon plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This is great on noodles or broiled tomatoes or can be used on broiled fish or meat.

Sage Butter:  1 teaspoon dried sage; 1/2 teaspoon dried celery leaves or 1/4 teaspoon celery seed; 1 teaspoon onion juice; 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Use it on poultry, lamb chops, veal, or vegetables.

Tarragon Butter:  2 teaspoons dried tarragon; 1-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley; 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. This adds a unique flavor to tomato dishes, eggs, cheese, or noodles. It can also be used on lamb or fish.

Lemon butter: 1 teaspoon lemon peel; 2 teaspoons dried lemon balm; 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.

When you have made the butter spoon it into ice cube molds or candy molds and use within 2 days. Alternatively, if you want to keep it longer, freeze it.  Remove it from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature for several hours before it is required. 

These are just a few ideas as the possibilities are endless. Try experimenting with your own favorite combinations. You should be able to think of many more recipes to make your own herb butter.

And if you want to save the hassle, the Backyard Patch has a multitude of pre-blended Herb Mixes formulated just for making herbal butters.  You can find them all right here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=370330738928&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Freezing Herbs - Preservation in Ice

About a week ago I posted ways to dry your herbs in the microwave. Today I am going to present another method of preserving herbs. When drying an herb you can change the flavor, but preserve it. However, some herbs, like chives lose so much flavor in drying that the dried herb is a shadowy substitute for the real thing. So if you want to preserve a closer to fresh flavor, freezing may be the answer. There are many different ways to preserve herbs through freezing. Some have a longer life than others.



Short Term Storage (three weeks)

Lay whole herb leaves (for sage or basil) or whole sprigs (like thyme or tarragon) onto cookie sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Place the sheets in the freezer for at least one hour, or until herbs are frozen. Then place the frozen herbs into freezer bags and press out excess air. Label the bags with contents and date.

To use the herbs, remove leaves or sprigs you need and chop them into your recipes. No need to defrost before use.


Longer Term Storage


Herbal Ice cubes – (4 months)

Freezing chopped herbs in water or broth. Although not as concentrated as oil purees, the individual cubes are easy to add to winter recipes.

Freeze recipe-sized portions of herbs in the liquid base you most often use for winter soups, stews, sauces and marinades. Later pull out the individual cubes and drop them as needed into the cook pot.

One of the easiest ways to do this is chop and blend the herbs, then measure 1 tsp. to 1 Tbls. Into sections of an ice cube tray then cover with broth or water. Once they are frozen pop out the cubes and place them in a zip seal bag with the measurement and herbs listed on the bag.


Frozen Puree – (4 months)

Pureeing, or making an herbal paste, is the more reliable method for freezing fresh herbs. All you need light oil, fresh herbs and a blender.

The technique involves slowly drizzling canola, safflower or other cooking oil while chopping the leaves in a blender. The oil coats the herb particles, preserving their color, flavor and texture. Purees can be used with any culinary herb. You can combine two or three herbs and even add garlic if you want. Freeze the herb puree in small containers so that you can use what you defrost within a week. Always label the jars with contents (herbs and oil used) and the date.

Purees are ideal in any dish including roasted meats, vegetables, sauces, butter, marinades, and salad dressings. They are used as an equal substitute for the freshly chopped herbs. So, if a recipe calls fro 1 Tbls freshly chopped basil, simply substitute 1 Tbls. Basil puree.

To create Puree:

• 1 to 2 cups fresh herbs
• ¼ to ½ cup oil

Gently rinse and dry herbs. Put the herbs in a blender or food processor and pulse-chop until finely minced. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the chopped herbs until they are coated completely, but without excess oil pooling at the bottom. If the herbs look dry, add a bit more oil and mix well. Scoop puree into small, ¼ to ½ cup containers. Pour a layer of oil over the top, then cover, label, date and place in the freezer.

The best part of these methods? When winter gets you down, these will be a tasty reminder of summer’s bounty and that winter will not last forever.

These recipes are just one aspect of the Backyard Patch. For more details on Herb Puree (Pastes) search our blogs in August 2010. To read our herb research, or see a listing of our more than 200 herbal blends for cooking, tea and bath visit the Backyard Patch on-line at http://www.backyardpatch.com/

Herb Pastes and Pestos

Pesto is a concoction that most people know about and many people make and enjoy. I thought in these harvest days I would share a traditional pesto recipe and share some pesto storage and usage tips. But first I want to share something that is made similar to pesto but is much more versatile as well as an excellent way to preserve fresh herb tastes for cooking that is lost in other preservation methods -- Herb pastes.



Herb Paste

Start with clean dry herbs and sterile wide-mouth jars of several sizes. Recycled jars are fine and some can be as small as baby food. You use the same general proportions of herbs and oils used for pesto (1/3 cup oil to 2 cups fresh herbs). Place oil and herbs in a blender and chop until you have a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as needed until all the bits of herbs are coated with oil. Use as little oil as necessary to accomplish this. I usually hand chop the herbs with a chef knife before putting them in the blender to speed up the process. The best oils for a paste are the most bland, corn oil, safflower, sunflower rather than olive oil.

Place the mixture immediately into jars, stir to remove air bubbles. Drizzle enough oil on top to cover and seal the herbs. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar to the oil. If you are using a metal lid, place a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the jar before screwing on the lid. Label and date. Refrigerate for use within a week or freeze for several months. Always keep open jars in the refrigerator.

How to use

An herb paste is a highly concentrated form of the herb and when using you should start with small amounts and gradually increase to get the flavor you want. They can be floated in soups, added to dressings for salads (the macerated herbs make the most flavor-filled dressings and vinaigrettes you can imagine.) You can also add the paste to sauces, gravies, and marinades. It can be a baste for meat and fish, used as a final added flavor over hot vegetables or even placed in your skillet to sauté meats or vegetables. You can even use basil paste to create a winter-time pesto.



Now let’s talk about Pesto

When making Pesto the herbs must be clean and DRY. The jars sterile and dry. And you must eliminate air bubbles in the finished pesto before storing to keep the color from turning. Then seal the jars with a layer of oil and vinegar.

Here is a traditional pesto recipe

This can be used on any pasta, but crinkly rotini (rotelle) is really good as it absorbs and holds the sauce so well.

6 Tbls. olive oil

3 Tbls. herbal vinegar (lemon, basil or garlic)

3 Tbls. pine nuts, blanched almonds or walnuts

2 large cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1-1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup oregano leaves

1/4 cup garlic chives, trimmed to 1-inch pieces (optional)

1 cup parmesan cheese (or 1/2 cup parm and 1/2 cup Romano)

1 pound cooked & drained pasta



Place items in a blender in this order: oil, herb vinegar, nuts, garlic, salt & pepper and cayenne. Add herbs, and then blend all together until smooth and creamy, wiping down the sides of the blender at least once with a rubber spatula. Pour mixture into a 3 cup bowl and stir in the cheese. Drain the pasta and immediately stir the pesto into it while it is still hot, then serve.

To freeze pesto

Pack the pesto down firmly in sterilized jars, getting rid of any air bubbles. Drizzle enough oil on top to cover and seal the herbs. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar to the oil. If you are using a metal lid, place a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the jar before screwing on the lid. Label and date the jar, then freeze. Use the pesto within 3 to10 months.

And by the way, you can make a Basil Paste then freeze it and use it to create a basil pesto several months after the fresh harvest with minimal loss of flavor.



To learn more about the concept of herbal pastes check out these publications:

Southern Herb Growing by Madelene Hill and Gwen Barclay (Shearer Publishing, Fredericksburg, TX, 1987)

The Basil Book by Marilyn Hampstead