OT: Herbs

The ideal temp. is 110; but can go as high 180 from what I’ve read.

Turn on the oven, as low as possible, and open the door and keep an eye on them.

You could also do it the old fashioned way of stringing them up, upside down.

Plus there are other ways to dry them on screens and some frozen well (like mint).

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/09/september/dryingherbs.php

http://www.herbcompanion.com/in-the-herb-garden/diy-drying-fresh-herbs.aspx

You can make mint/spearmint jelly and mint/spearmint extract using vodka. There are recipes online.

Some of these can be made into perfumes (ex: LAvendar water).

I don’t have a preference regarding the jars v/s the bags. The bags take up less room, but the jars would be easier to reseal repeatedly after opening to take herbs out. Jars are good for liquid preservation. I don’t have the jar attachment though I use my canning jars all the time for storing all sorts of things. try doing it both ways and see what you like best.

HTH

Lindsey, you don’t need to dig up the whole plant, just take some of the fresh roots, ( I just dig with my hands under the plant and take some of the fresh root) and use the leaves too, not the flowers. The leaves will make a tincture but the root is supposed to have the most potent part of the herb. Remember the seeds in the echinacea flower will help spread the plant, I started with a couple of the plants and now I have a lot. Chop the leaves in with the root if you like. Once you have strained it you can later strain off the sediment if you want to. Echinacea can interfere with other medications and pharmaceuticals, so don’t use if you are taking anything else without a herbalist or medical doctor saying it is ok. Don’t take long term either as it can lose effectiveness – better to take it in short courses.

I don’t have a garden now since we moved to the mountains, but am a member in a share of a local farm that delivers produce every week for over half of the year. I’ve had to get creative to use everything and have found some great time savers. Out of desperation to use large amounts, I discovered a couple of great methods for preserving herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill…) & tender greens (spinach, beet greens, chard…).

1st method: I just throw herbs & olive oil into my food processor and freeze. If you spread it out in a freezer bag (or parchment or wax paper if you don’t use plastic), you can just break off whatever you want to use and throw the rest back in the freezer. I was amazed at how well it held up. I used it in all my cooking and it tasted like fresh. I found it was best to add at the end of the cooking time to preserve the freshest taste. Also, add to salad dressings & sauces.

2nd method: Make pesto and freeze in similar manner as above, although I usually use a whole batch at a time. All kinds… cilantro, pecans, parmesan or feta, garlic, olive oil, & lime…spinach, parsley, garlic scapes, pine nuts or almonds, parmesan, lemon, olive oil…you name it. You can get very creative with its uses. Pizza base, pasta, pearl couscous & beans. Add olive oil & vinegar &/or mayo for a salad dressing. Toss with roasted potatoes or other roasted veges. Toss with green beans & potatoes. Grill/roast/saute chicken or fish. Toss with ready made frozen ravioli. Top sliced tomatoes. Vegetable salad. Sandwich spread…great panini’s. Add to chicken, tuna, or egg salds. Maybe deviled eggs.

Just be sure to pristinely clean the herbs because they can start to break down in the freezer if they’re not. Blanching helps this, but I’ve only blanched greens and haven’t tried blanching herbs. I think the olive oil and the acid from the lemon helps.

HTH’s with your abundant harvest this year. How wonderful to have such a variety grown from your own hands. You’ve inspired me to think about container gardening next year.