Preserving the Harvest - How to Make Herbal Seasoning Frozen Cubes

I've talked before about freezing as a method of preservation for herbs and I have discussed making herbal pastes. This time I am going to combine the two and show you how to make an herbal paste and freeze it.

I harvested these herbs for a program that was cancelled so I needed to use them up in a hurry.  We could not cook them all so I decided that I would make an herbal paste and try a new technique someone turned me onto this summer.

These frozen nodules of goodness are great in seasonal soups, stews, gravy and sauces. And because they are the size of an ice cube, you do not have to thaw an entire jar of puree making the herbs easier to use in cooking especially when pressed for time.

How to make frozen herbal seasoning cubes

1) First off, harvest your herbs that you want to freeze and give them a cleaning and air dry to remove the wash water.

2) Next, pulse the herbs in a food processor or blender with enough broth, olive oil or water to get your desired consistency. Use just enough liquid to blend the herbs together well. It was close to 1 teaspoon or two, not a full tablespoon for this average size Osterizer.

•   for basil use olive oil (I used purple basil)
•   for thyme you can use broth or water.  I made some with chicken broth and some with water
•   for sage a lighter oil like canola is good or chicken broth if you intend to use it in stuffing
•   for tarragon or dill I suggest water because you do not want to mask the light flavor
•   for garlic or garlic chives use a bit of olive oil (If you love garlic but hate mincing fresh, this is the way to go.)
  
  
  

3) Prepare your trays or muffin tins. They should be clean and dry.  I experimented with spraying cooking oil in some of them.  I do not think it make much difference in the removal stage.  One friend suggested placing a fresh leaf in the bottom of the tray to make an imprint in the cube.  It makes them very pretty and I felt like Martha Stewart doing it - which is a good thing!

4) Plop spoonfuls of your mixtures into the cleaned ice cube trays or mini muffin pan or other suitable containers and freeze. Be sure to mark the trays with what you placed in them because except for the purple basil, they all look alike as a puree.  Allow them to freeze at least overnight, 12 hours is better than 8.

5) When they have frozen solid, pop them out and store them in a zip lock bag in the freezer.  These will keep for quite a while.  My friend said she had some from 2 years ago that she was still using and the flavors were just fine. 

frozen cubes in ziplocks in a freezer bag

I also experimented with blending a few of the herbs together in the cubes too. 

thyme & tarragon frozen

   

Thyme & Basil before freezing

When you use the herbal cubes, just take one (or two) out and toss in whatever you are cooking. It will melt down fast and incorporate its flavorful goodness into your dish. With this technique you save some sweet summer for your winter dishes.

Harvest time How To on Air Drying Herbs

Herbs are tremendously useful in so many ways. So it is late summer now, your herb garden has been planted, watered, weeded, and you’ve watched the plants grow and thrive. Now it’s time to learn how to use those wonderful herbs and it requires only a little bit of work. The first step in using the results of your garden is to harvest them.

Harvesting an herb does not mean removing the entire plant, rather cutting or rimming 2/3 to 3/4 of the plants height. An herb’s essential oils can be dispersed by the wind and the heat, and on extremely wet days, fewer oils are produced by the plants. The best time to harvest your herbs is during mid to late summer, on a calm and dry morning. Harvest them right before the flowers open in the morning and just after the dew has dried from the leaves.  Yes i did say 2/3 to 3/4 they will grow back, I promise and they will be happier if you cut them often instead of waiting until October.

Using fresh herbs right out of your garden is a delight. Make sure to clean the herbs before using them fresh in recipes. To clean fresh herbs, fill a bowl with cool water and place the herbs in the bowl. For a larger quantity, use the cleaned kitchen sink. Add about two tablespoons of salt to the water. Any insects present on the herbs will be driven away by the salt in the water, without damaging the plant. Rinse carefully and allow them to air dry.  You can speed up this drying by  placing the herbs in a salad spinner.

Of course, herbs don’t have to be used at the time they are picked. They can be preserved for later use in three ways by: drying, freezing, or preserving them in salt, butter or vinegar.


I have posted ways to make and use butters and vinegar before, so I will let you look at those posts:



http://herbal-life-style.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-tues-day-making-herbal-vinegar.html

http://herbal-life-style.blogspot.com/2011/08/compound-herb-butters-summers-special.html


I will talk about some other drying methods in the coming weeks as well, but I thought I would start with the easiest -- air drying.  And I have some great photos from this year’s harvesting. This is a very simple way to preserve herbs. It works best with sturdy herbs like sage, lavender, thyme, savory, mints, rosemary and oregano.

Pick herbs in the morning, after dew has dried, but before the heat of the day sets in. Rinse them and pat them dry. Then, try one of these air-drying methods, all of which take about two to three weeks:

• Remove leaves from the bottom of the stem, and bunch four to six stems together loosely. Bundle with a rubber band or string and hang them, upside down, out of direct sunlight for two to three weeks.

• Spread the herbs out on a loosely on a window screen or woven basket tray and dry them flat.

• Put herbs into brown paper bags and loosely tie or fold over the top.  This is especially good for thyme and chives.

When the herbs crumble to the touch, you can pack the leaves into jars or seal them in plastic bags. Be careful not to crush them yet. Store them whole so that they’ll keep more of their flavorful oils. Keep them from direct sunlight so they’ll maintain their flavor for several months.

Steps to air drying:

Trim the stems until all the herbs in a bundle are about the same length. Place 4 to 6 stems together and bundle with a rubber band.  Some people like string, but since the stems shrink during the drying process, I am more fond of rubber bands which will contract and keep the herbs off the floor.

fresh savory and sage ready to be hung

I also like the fact that the last loop of the band can be placed over the hanging bar and back over the stems to serve as a hanger.  And when I want to remove the herbs.  I just tug on the bundle and the rubber band snaps off the hanging rod.

 

Rubber band looped over rod

 Place the herbs in a dry dark area out of direct sunlight. and give them 48 hours to two weeks to dry.

Quick and easy drying rack using paper tube wire hangers

Once the herbs pass the "crumble test," they are done and can be stored until you are ready to use them in a sealed jar or container.  I place bundles whole in glass jars or zip seal bags until i am ready to strip the stems into my still room jars for use in blends.

 

Savory crumbling perfectly

Sage perfectly dry

When I dry sage, I like the use the leaves with the best color to make rubbed sage.  So I will sort through the leave and separate out the leaves I like.  I crumble them in my hand to a coarse consistency.

Then I place them on a paper towel and using the balls of my fingers rub in gentle circles until I create a clumping powder.  

There are those who run sage leaves in a blender or grinder to make rubbed sage, but I think this lets too much essential oil escape and I prefer the hand method.  It does not take any longer and you have no extra cleanup!

rubbed sage ready for bottling

Drying Your Herbs

I've chatted on this subject before, but I find that it helps to repeat this as new folks who have never worked with herbs may not realize how simple it is to dry herbs for winter use.

Ways to dry:

1. Hang Drying – this is ideal for any long-stemmed herbs, tarragon, lavender, sage, rosemary, mints, lemon balm, etc.

Take stems and bundle together, tying them or holding them with a rubber band.  Depending on the size of the stem 10 to 12 stems is a good size bundle.  Choose a hanging location that has good air circulation, minimal light, especially sunlight, and dust.  In my first home I suspended a rack from the ceiling in the basement, draped a white bed sheet over the top to collect the dust and had plenty of air circulation under and around the herbs.  The average drying time is 1 to 2 weeks.  In humid places, like Illinois, running a dehumidifier during the muggy months can help.

Once they are dry, and you know they are completely dry when they crumble in your hand, you can crumble them into jars for long-term storage.  Or you can leave them on the stem for longer storage by placing them stem and all in a zip lock bag.  Herbs left on the stem will keep their flavor several months longer than those crumbled and a year longer than those ground or powdered.

2. Screen drying – smaller leaf or stem herbs, flowers and other petite plants are perfect for screen drying.

Place herbs on a window screen.  You can also use cheese cloth stretched over a frame or even lay them out on paper towel on corrugated cardboard.  What you want is good air circulation again and minimal sunlight.  The herbs will dry in a week or less, but you may need to turn them over depending on your air conditions. 

I purchased scratch and dent window screens from a build supply store all the same size and shape.  For this we then crafted a frame where the screens could slide in and out to make access easier once during loading and unloading.

3. Oven drying – can be used for any herbs, but is best for those that do not do well with longer methods, especially Basil.  You do have to be careful with sage that has a very volatile oil.

Remove the fresh leaves from the stalk and place them on an oven tray.  You can layer the tray with parchment to make it easy to remove.  There are two ways to use the oven, the short method and the long method.  The short method you place the tray in a warm oven (350 to 400 degrees) for only 5 to 9 minutes until the herbs are dry and brittle.  Do not walk away and leave them or you can end up with scorched herbs.  If you have picked the herbs previously (up to 24 hours ahead) you can reduce the oven temp to 250 to 300 degrees. 

The long method is easier because you can set it and forget it.  With the long method you set the over to 350 degrees and allow it to pre-heat.  Then take the tray of herbs and set in the oven after you turn it off.  Leaving the oven door open to allow moisture to escape and allow a couple of hours or overnight for the herbs to dry.  If you have a gas oven with a pilot light, you can use this method without turning the oven on.  It may take 6 to 8 hours to dry the herbs this way.

4. Refrigeration method – this is perfect for herbs with small leaves, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, or savory.

Place the small leaved herbs on a plate or a square of cardboard laid with paper towel and place in the refrigerator.  You can also do this with basil leaves but the paper towel is required.  You can also place the herbs inside of a paper bag, fold the tip closed and set them in the back of the refrigerator for a few days.  In both cases check them frequently and stir them around to avoid wilting and ensure even drying.  The drying time varies depending on the herb.  Thyme is much faster, while basil may take more time.  Once they are dry place them in containers.

The down side of this method is you need extra space in refrigerator and you can have flavor transfer.  Strong foods stored in the fridge may flavor the herbs and some foods may pick up the flavor of the herbs. My husband loves when I do this becasue I clean the refrigerator before I place the herbs.

Do you have a favorite drying technique?  Which one gives you the most success?  Leave a comment and let’s chat about it.

Storing Your Herbs

This time of year I am always thinking about the preservation time periods I will get from the herbs I am drying.  I thought this would be a great time to share the average shelf life

Shelf-life is a term used to reflect the amount of time an herb or spice has before its taste, flavor and scent deteriorate.  The components of a plant that give it smell and taste are called volatile oils.  Those oils can evaporate or oxidize.  To maintain the best length of time the herbs and spices should be as close to whole leaf as possible.  For example those that are cut or powdered and have more surface area can deteriorate much more quickly.

Time periods to use for keeping herbs and spices:

Whole Herbs and spices

Leaves and flowers           1 year

Seeds and barks               2+ years

Roots                                3+ years

Ground Spices and Herbs

Leaves and flowers         6 months

Seeds and barks              6 months

Roots                               1 year

Teas

Black and green           1 year

Herbal Teas                  1 years

How you store them is also important to the length of time they stay potent.  Closed containers to protect them from direct sunlight or extreme heat are best.  This prevents oxidation which deteriorates the flavor, color and aroma.  Small jars closer to the size of the herbs or spices held cuts down on air trapped with them which can increase the deterioration.   Spices and herbs can pick up the odors of items around them so something sealed is best.

Avoiding light is helpful in improving the length of freshness.  Dark colored jars or those covered entirely with labels that will block light are perfect.

Moisture build up which can happen when the temperature fluctuates can be very damaging.  It can cause the flavor to seem off and can result in mold.  Make sure that your herbs are not stored next to the stove or above it for this will result in great fluctuations in both temperature and humidity.

Braiding Garlic to Dry

Those wonderful braid that you see in gourmet shops are wonderful decoration for your kitchen and useful too, because they properly store fresh garlic and keep it from moulding. To make one yourself is rather easy.


To do this you need garlic fresh from the garden with the leaves still pliable and not brittle. If you ask at the local farmers market, you can find a farmer who will gladly get you some with leaves still attached.

Steps to Braid Garlic:

1. Rinse off the natural dirt and choose the fullest heads. You are going to start with a group of three and lay them with heads together and stems crossing.

2. Braid the leaves together once or twice close to the heads. You want to braid tightly because you don’t want to see the leaves, just garlic.

3. Add a fourth head of garlic above the one in the center, weaving its leaves in with the center crossing the leaves of another. Braid a time or two.

4. Next add two more heads, these off to each side. Include their leaves with the other bunches and continue to braid.

5. Keep adding one, then two, then one, then two and braiding in-between for as long as you want until you run out of garlic.

6. To finish the top, braid the remaining leaves together tie with twine and trim the ends even. Hang it to dry. When you need garlic just snip off a head and use it.

If you love cooking with garlic, but don't grow your own, check out the Herb Mixes and Seasonings from the Backyard Patch.  We have rubs, marinades and others blends that are a garlic lover's dream.  See us at http://www.backyardpatch.com/

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/

Dry your harvest!

I have used five different methods to dry the harvest from my garden. All are easy and I have listed them in order of energy and attention needed. Those that need the most attention are listed last.


Before you begin:

Always pick herbs just before the plant flowers to insure the strongest flavor.

Harvest in the late morning after the dew has lifted, but before the sun becomes too strong and evaporates the essential oils.

Cut only healthy herbs. Don’t worry about a few dead or damaged leaves; just pluck them off before the drying process.

Ways to dry:

                 1. Hang Drying – this is ideal for any long-stemmed herbs, tarragon, lavender, sage, rosemary,  mints, lemon balm, etc.

Take stems and bundle together, tying them or holding them with a rubber band. Depending on the size of the stem 10 to 12 stems is a good size bundle. Choose a hanging location that has good air circulation, minimal light, especially sunlight, and dust. In my first home I suspended a rack from the ceiling in the basement, draped a white bed sheet over the top to collect the dust and had plenty of air circulation under and around the herbs. The average drying time is 1 to 2 weeks. In humid places, like Illinois, running a dehumidifier during the muggy months can help.

Once they are dry, and you know they are completely dry when they crumble in your hand, you can crumble them into jars for long-term storage. Or you can leave them on the stem for longer storage by placing them stem and all in a zip lock bag. Herbs left on the stem will keep their flavor several months longer than those crumbled and a year longer than those ground or powdered.

                2. Screen drying – smaller leaf or stem herbs, flowers and other petite plants are perfect for        screen drying.

Place herbs on a window screen. You can also use cheese cloth stretched over a frame or even lay them out on paper towel on corrugated cardboard. What you want is good air circulation again and minimal sunlight. The herbs will dry in a week or less, but you may need to turn them over depending on your air conditions.

I purchased scratch and dent window screens from a building supply store all the same size and shape. For this we then crafted a frame where the screens could slide in and out to make access easier once during loading and unloading.

                3. Oven drying – can be used for any herbs, but is best for those that do not do well with longer  methods, especially Basil. You do have to be careful with sage that has a very volatile oil.

Remove the fresh leaves from the stalk and place them on an oven tray. You can layer the tray with parchment to make it easy to remove. There are two ways to use the oven, the short method and the long method. The short method you place the tray in a warm oven (350 to 400 degrees) for only 5 to 9 minutes until the herbs are dry and brittle. Do not walk away and leave them or you can end up with scorched herbs. If you have picked the herbs previously (up to 24 hours ahead) you can reduce the oven temp to 250 to 300 degrees.

The long method is easier because you can set it and forget it. With the long method you set the over to 350 degrees and allow it to pre-heat. Then take the tray of herbs and set in the oven after you turn it off. Leaving the oven door open to allow moisture to escape and allow a couple of hours or overnight for the herbs to dry. If you have a gas oven with a pilot light, you can use this method without turning the oven on. It may take 6 to 8 hours to dry the herbs this way.

                4. Refrigeration method – this is perfect for herbs with small leaves, thyme, rosemary,             marjoram, or savory.

Place the small leaved herbs on a plate or a square of cardboard laid with paper towel and place in the refrigerator. You can also do this with basil leaves but the paper towel is required. Check them frequently and stir them around to avoid wilting and ensure even drawing. The drying time varies depending on the herb. Thyme is much faster, while basil may take more time. Once they are dry place them in containers.

The down side of this method is you need extra space in refrigerator and you can have flavor transfer. Some foods stored in the fridge may flavor the herbs and some foods may pick up the flavor of the herbs.

                5. Microwave drying – good for small batches of herbs, especially those that need to dry quickly or risk turning moldy, like Basil.

Lay the herbs out on paper towel. Don’t fill the sheet too full, then place another towel on top. You can do multiple layers of herbs and toweling. Place the towel stack in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes stopping every 30 seconds to be sure they do not burn. Remove leaves that become crumble dry and continue until all herbs are dry to the touch.

Do you have a favorite drying technique? Which one gives you the most success? Leave a comment and let’s chat about it.

At the Backyard Patch we make hundred of blends using dried herbs if you are interested in learning more about our combinations, visit us at http://www.backyardpatch.com/

How to Dry herbs in the Microwave

Using herbs after the summer requires preservation. On Monday I talked about preserving the fresh taste using an herb paste. Drying takes up no freezer space and allows you to fill your spice jars with your own garden bounty quickly and easily. There are many methods of preservation that can be used. One that is gaining in popularity, especially for the home herb gardener is using the microwave. The microwave allows you to dry some herbs that are not as easy to dry by hanging, like basil and chives. If you want to try drying your herbs in the microwave, just follow these simple steps.

The steps to accomplishing this are rather simple.

Steps:

1. Pick out the herbs you want to dry and harvest them. Mid-morning harvesting is best as the dew has lifted but the heat of the day has not removed the flavor oils from the leaves. Avoid the oldest leaves as they are sometimes tough. When harvesting perennial herbs in summer you can cut about 3/4 of the height of the plant, but in fall you should cut only ½ the height to give the plant needed food for winter. Annuals of course can be cut to the ground at the end of the season.
2. Remove any damage or discolored leaves and remove the leaves from the stems. (Unless you are drying thyme then it is best to leave it on the stem.)
3. Rinse the herbs. Run cool water over them in colander. Dry the herbs between layers of paper towel, patting them down gently to remove as much water as possible
4. Lay the herbs out on paper towel. Don’t fill the sheet too full, then place another towel on top.
5. Place the towel in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes stopping every 30 seconds to be sure they do not burn.
6. Remove the paper towel from the microwave and let the herbs rest a few minutes. This allows the moisture from the microwave to evaporate into the air.
7. If the herbs are crisp to the touch they are fully dry, store them in a dry dark container with a tight fitting lid. Always label your herbs, as they look ands smell much different dried than fresh and will not be as easily identified.

 At the Backyard Patch we make hundred of blends using dried herbs if you are interested in learning more about our combinations, visit us at http://www.backyardpatch.com/