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Preserving Herbs




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Drying - Bay, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme
retain much of their aromatic quality when dried. Chives will not
retain their flavor particularly well. Chervil may be dried but is
much better used fresh. You can dry your own store-bought or
garden-grown herbs in a dry, well-ventilated space away from direct
sunlight or a heat source.

The best method is to dry the leaves on a screen, but herb bundles
can also be wrapped in a paper bag and hung until brittle. This
will take about three to five days (or longer), depending upon the
weather and humidity. Stem the dried leaves and store them in
covered glass jars for up to a year.

Freezing - More tender herbs, including basil, chives, cilantro,
dill, parsley, and tarragon are best preserved by freezing. Some,
like basil, will turn black, and all will lose their texture, but
frozen herbs keep their fresh flavor for using in cooked dishes.
They will last for up to six months using any of these three
techniques:

Whole herbs: Pack sprigs of clean, dry herbs in airtight containers
or food storage bags and freeze. Run basil leaves with olive oil
before freezing.

Chopped herbs: Roughly chop the herbs, pack them into ice cube
trays, fill the trays with water, and freeze. When frozen, put the
cubes into food storage bags and label with date and contents.

Herb puree: Puree herbs in a blender or food processor with just
enough vegetable or olive oil to make a thick paste. Freeze in
ice-cube trays or in small portions in food storage bags. When
frozen, put the cubes into food storage bags and label with date
and contents.

Herb Butter - Frozen herb butters will keep for up to three months
so you can slice off a piece to top a pan-seared fish fillet or a
steak, finish a butter sauce, or bring it to room temperature to
spread on bread.

Mix one stick softened unsalted butter with ¼ cup packed coarsely
chopped herbs or more to taste. Roll into a cylinder, wrap in
plastic, and freeze.

Herb Vinegar - Herb vinegars have a long shelf life. Tarragon is
the standard, but basil, chive, and chive blossoms, dill, or
rosemary infuse their flavors into milk white vinegar. Use herb
vinegars in vinaigrettes and marinades or to add zest to cooked
vegetables.

Fill a glass jar with washed leaves or whole sprigs. Pour in
white-wine, rice-wine, or Champagne vinegar to cover. Set the jar
in the sun for a week or until fully flavored. Strain into a clean
bottle and seal. It will keep indefinitely.