Often asked: How Do You Preserve A Herb Garden?

How to Preserve and Store Your Homegrown Herbs

1. Air Drying. Drying is the easiest way to preserve herbs.
2. Microwave Drying. A speedier alternative to air drying is to use a microwave.
3. Storing Dried Herbs.
4. Freezing Herbs.
5. Herb Ice Cubes.
6. Frozen Blends.
7. Herb Butter.
8. Vinegars and Oils.

Is it better to freeze or dry herbs?

Freezing is the best way to maintain the essential oils and spritely flavors of delicate herbs such as dill, fennel, thyme, basil, and chives (although you can freeze any herb ). There’s no need to blanch herbs for freeezing. Just wash all herbs in cool, running water, and pat dry before freezing.

What do you do with herbs at the end of the season?

When you harvest your herbs at the end of the season, you can trim your plant to the ground. If your herb is a perennial, it will come back in the spring. If it is not a perennial, you can always save seeds from that plant or purchase new seeds or transplants in the spring.

How long does an herb garden last?

If you are in a year-round warm climate your options are a little more diverse than if you have snow for several months every year. But outdoor herb gardens for most of us are possible for at least 7 months of every year. And if your herb garden is in a container, you can move it out of harms way when necessary.

What can I do with too many fresh herbs?

10 Things to Make with Too Many Herbs

1. Freeze Them. Freezing is the best way to store the more delicate (and, in my case, most overabundant) herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley and mint.
2. Chop Them.
3. Dry Them (in the Microwave!)
4. Drink Them.
5. Drink Them.
6. Make Scrubs.
7. Make Oils.
8. Make Butters.

How do you freeze garden herbs?

Instructions

1. Rinse herbs and pat dry. Chop as desired.
2. Place herbs in an ice cube tray, silicone ones work best.
3. Fill each well with water, just enough to completely cover the herbs.
4. Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze for 3-4 hours.
5. To use, place the cube in a small bowl and let the ice melt.

What do I do with my herb garden in the winter?

Keep Herbs Alive and Well in Winter With These 5 Tactics

1. Protect herbs from the cold by placing them in a cold frame or cloche.
2. Add a thick layer of coarse mulch over herbs.
3. Pot up herbs and move them into a frost-free greenhouse or sun porch.
4. Grow herbs in front of a sunny window.

How do you preserve herbs for winter?

Bushy herbs like thyme, oregano, tarragon, sage and rosemary are best stored between two damp pieces of food-safe paper towel and stored in an air tight plastic bag. Before chopping herbs, make sure to remove all the stems. Stems can later be used together as a bouquet to add flavor to sauces, stocks and soups.

Should I cut back my herbs for winter?

Most importantly, trim off the dead flower heads to help keep the plants bushy. Don’t trim too low down the stems (a light trim of the top leaves is enough) as the plants need time to recover before the cold weather arrives and small tender shoots engendered by fierce pruning won’t take kindly to being bathed in frost.

Do herbs like sun or shade?

Most herbs need a fair amount of sunlight. As long as an herb is growing in a space where it gets at least 4 hours of sunlight a day, it will most likely do well. Most can tolerate much more sunlight, though, with herbs like rosemary, lavender and basil thriving in full sun (6 – 8 hours a day).

How do you take care of outdoor herbs?

Growing Herbs & Herb Garden Care

1. Bright Sun for Happy Herbs. Most herbs grow best in full sun. Plant your herbs where they will receive at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day.
2. Watch the Water. While herbs appreciate water during especially hot or dry weather, don’t overdo it.

What herbs should not be planted together?

What herbs should not be planted together?

• Keep fennel and wormwood isolated from other plants.
• Rue should be kept away from sage, basil, and cabbages.
• Anise and dill should not be planted near carrots.
• Keep dill clear of tomatoes.
• Sage makes a bad bedfellow with cucumber and onion.

How do you keep herbs from going bad?

Store hardy herbs by arranging them lengthwise in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel, rolling them up like a jelly roll, then transferring the bundle to a plastic zipper-lock bag or wrapping it in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator.

What to do with basil that is going bad?

Always sniff discolored basil: if it smells bad, don’t use it. If it feels slimy, throw it away. Brown, fragrant basil should be washed first, then either snipped and chopped, or added to the sauce whole.

How do I dry my garden herbs?

Hang the herb bunches in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area out of the sun. A garage, shed, barn or well ventilated attic work well. It may take up to a month for herbs to dry completely. Tray drying is another method that works well with short stemmed herbs or for individual leaves.