Comments on: Preserving Summer’s Bounty: Drying and Grinding Herbs

By: michelle p. from wa

michelle p. from wa — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:47:59 +0000

Hi ladies!
I am curious, when freezing basil, is it better to do it in water or olive oil? Why is it not "ideal" to dry it rather than freezing? My basil is doing wonderfully this year and I don't want to waste any of it. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated~!
Blessings to you all!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:43:24 +0000

Thank you for such wonderful instructions- I can't wait to see your additional tutorials on canning! Best wishes for you & your new addition!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:56:30 +0000

I have had success by placing them on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest temp with the door open. It only takes about 30 minutes to dry them out (if I remember right. It has been a while). They shrink a bit, but if you need herbs fast, it works well.

By: Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home

Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:34:26 +0000

Spinner, it's not necessary to grind them. Sometimes I have stored them whole as well. I just like to have them all ground up and ready to go, but it would probably preserve a little bit more of the flavor if you left them whole or ground them right when you wanted to use them.

And as for my grinder, I just wipe it out well with a cloth in between. The lid I can actually wash in hot water. I find that if I keep it wiped out well (and do it quickly) in between different herbs, it doesn't retain too much in the way of scents or taste. At least, not to me, though some may be more sensitive to it.

By: Brenda@Coffeeteabooksandme

Brenda@Coffeeteabooksandme — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:48:23 +0000

I'm going to try drying my lemon balm like that.

Thanks!

By: Spinner

Spinner — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:48:09 +0000

I have two questions:
1. Why grind them? Would it be okay to store them dried and whole?
2. How do you clean your grinder in between so that you don't end up with the flavors from a previous herb or spice in the next herb or spice?

By: Laryssa @ Heaven In The Home

Laryssa @ Heaven In The Home — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:12:47 +0000

This is the same way I do mine! It works really well. I ended up using small glass jars that I had leftover from salsa or other small food jars. I put my own labels on them and they are working great.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:32:12 +0000

Lat year I tried something new with my basil and it worked out pretty well. Any extra basil I chopped and put into ice cube trays and then filled those with water. When the cubes were frozen I put them into Ziplock freezer bags. During the year when I made pasta sauce I just threw 2-4 cubes in... or you can defrost first in a sieve if you don't want the extra water.

By: Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home

Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:12:01 +0000

Nola, I can't quite even picture the grinder you're talking about. Is it similar to a coffee grinder, or is it something portable that you would put on the table at dinner? I would imagine that you could grind other types of spices, and perhaps seeds (sesame, sunflower, etc.) as well. If you're planning to get rid of it otherwise, might be worth a try! I love finding new uses for something I didn't really think was useful!

Kate, I think it's an equally great way to preserve herbs. I also freeze herbs myself sometimes, with good results and flavor. I just happen to like the convenience of dried herbs in my pantry, and my freezer tends to get full so easily (1/4 of a cow, tons of frozen fruit, soup broth, etc.).

By: kate

kate — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:51:19 +0000

I've always just chopped and frozen excess herbs (dry, as opposed to the ice cube method) in a ziplock bag to ensure the contents remain airtight even as the supply is used up.
I'm wondering what your thoughts are about freezing versus drying herbs, in terms of shelf life and flavour retention and preserving the nutrients.