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Garden Gate:  Picking & drying herbs  |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 30 2007 : 09:27:09 AM
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For the first time ever, I planted Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Lemon Verbena, Rosemary, Sage, Chocolate Mint, Ginger Mint, Thyme and 2 different varieties of Lavendar in pots out on my deck. They were doing OK before we left for vacation, almost 2 weeks ago, but now that we've come back, ~~~WOW~~~ They're FULL of leaves--big, gorgeous, full plants! I don't know what my dad watered them with while we were gone, but they've gone crazy!!
So, now I have all these herbs, and I know that I should be pinching leaves back and I think I should be drying or freezing them because I'll never use that many fresh herbs. But, I don't know how much to pinch back, and I don't know which would be good candidates for freezing or drying. Any suggestions or specific sites for me to check out. I'm a true novice in the gardening area!
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4739 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4739 Posts |
Posted - Jul 30 2007 : 6:44:52 PM
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All of your herbs that you listed can easily be dried. According to my cousin, Windy Pines Farm Girl, you just need to wash & dry the herbs throughly. Spread them out on a baking sheet & let dry in your oven. Michele's oven has a pilot light so that's all she needs to do. My oven doesn't have a pilot light, so I have to warm it up slightly, turn it off & then put the herbs in. Put your dried herbs in a pretty jar for your kitchen or give as gifts.
I have never tried frozen herbs. Maybe someone can help you with that.
Dawn in IL |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2007 : 05:16:53 AM
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Dawn is right. All of your herbs can be dried. Simply pinch or cut each stem back to the next new growth. Your plants will look like you just gave them a buzz cut, but they'll grow out again very quickly. I hang mine to dry. I tie 3-4 sprigs together with twist ties and then loop the twist tie through a link in a decorative chain I have hanging for this purpose. It only takes a few days for them to completely dry. Oh, and they need to hang in a dry place out of direct sun. If your humidity is very high there, the oven idea might work better for you.
Then separate the leaves from the stems and store in airtight jars. Voila! It's really easy. And your kitchen (or where ever you hang them) will smell yummy while they dry and again when you process them for the jars. I just started chocolate mint this year and even after it's dried the smell fills my whole kitchen when I remove the leaves from the stems.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
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Mikki
True Blue Farmgirl
1510 Posts
Mikki
Austin
Indiana
USA
1510 Posts |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4739 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4739 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2007 : 8:54:39 PM
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You want to cut your herbs before they bloom. That is when they taste the best.
Dawn in IL |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2007 : 06:33:42 AM
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OK, I'm doing this tomorrow. From what I've read, late morning after the dew dries is the best time to pick. I love the twist ties Lisa! The articles I read said to wrap them with a rubber band and then hang them upside down in a brown paper bag. So, I was planning to buy bags--duh! Sometimes I have to learn not to take things so literally, and think outside of the box (or bag in this case!).
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2007 : 09:05:28 AM
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Can you use a dehydrater to dry them?
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2007 : 09:18:40 AM
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I probably could, but I really like Lisa's idea of hanging them. So, I'm going to try hanging them around--like the mint in one of the spare bedrooms and the other herbs in other rooms to see if they really do scent the rooms while they're drying. We'll see!
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 10:07:42 AM
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So, I cut a bunch of herbs on Saturday. I washed them, patted them dry, called my mom & sister in law to give them fresh herbs, then I used Lisa's idea to use twist ties to hang the bunches of herbs. I just hung them from a hanger in the spare bedroom. We'll see how they do.
The other thing I did with the chocolate mint and the lemon verbena was to make flavored sugars. You take about 3 sprigs of herbs, crush them with mortar & pestle or the back of a spoon and stir them in with 2 cups of sugar. Keep sealed and stir every 2 days because there's moisture in the fresh herbs that will need to be broken up in the sugar. After 2 weeks your herbs should have dried out some, and the flavor will be throughout the sugar. At least, that's what the recipe says.... I stirred them this morning, and they smell great! I don't know if I can wait the full 2 weeks to try them!!
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 10:29:43 AM
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Great idea, Kathy. I had some chocolate mint growing in my herb garden a few years back and ended up losing it. Wish I'd thought of flavoring sugar. I'll bet that woudl be great in coffee, hot chocolate or sprinkled over plain cereal! Welcome to the world of herbs...they are addictive aren't they?
Jo
"Wish I had time to work with herbs all day!" |
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2007 : 9:02:29 PM
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Good idea Bonne! Another thing I thought of was the little rubber bands you get from the orthodontist when you have braces. Teenie tiny!
I just stirred my lemon balm sugar & my chocolate mint sugar--they smell soooooo good! I'm not sure I can wait 2 weeks to try them!
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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Garden Gate: Picking & drying herbs |
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Picking & drying herbs
