Using Herbs from a Home Herb Garden

You have planted the herbs and watched them grow and flourish. Hopefully you will now know how very useful they can be in lots of different ways. But, using herbs from a home herb garden requires a little bit or work first.

The very first thing to do is to harvest them and getting the timing right is one of the most important things. The wind and the heat can disperse the essential oils of the herbs. You should harvest them on a still and dry day sometime around misdsummer. On very wet days, herbs make very little of their oils. Harvest the herbs just after the dew has dried form the leaves right before the flowers open. Click here for more: herbs at home

Harvesting the herb does not mean removing the entire plant. You just want to take what you need at that time. You do not need to use the herbs that you are harvesting at the time that you pick them. They can always be preserved for later use.It is important that you leave at least two thirds of the plants foliage ant any time. The plant will need a good amount of foliage to re-grow well. You should also inspect the plant for insects and damaged leaves before you harvest it. 

Typically there are three ways that people preserve their herbs for later use; drying, freezing, or preserving them in a medium like 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. For individual leaves, place them on a drying rack. Don’t forget to turn them regularly so they can dry properly. Some people have turned to using appliances like dehydrators, ovens or microwaves to dry herbs as well although these are less satisfactory ways. For more visit our blog: Herb Gardens Blog

Freezing is a fairly easy method of presaervation. Place the ¼ inch cut herbs onto a baking tray covered 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 alternative for storing your herbs is via a medium. Vinegar is very good for preserving prepared mint, basil or tarragon and will remain usable for many months. Or you can preserve your herbs by using alternate layers of flavored salt. The salt will completely dry out the herb and all that is needed is to separate them and store in an airtight tub. 

Of course, people often use herbs fresh right out of the 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. Use a sink if there are a lot of herbs to prepare. Add about two tablespoons of salt to the water. The salt in the water will drive away insects without damaging the plant. Then, take them out of the water and dry them in a salad spinner. 

There are many different kinds of herb for many different uses. Each different type of herb has their own list of instructions on how to use, harvest, and chop them. Make sure into research the specific type of herb you are using to use it correctly. Click here for more: Herb Garden Information