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Posts Tagged ‘Herbs’

So, the agony has passed. You’ve nurtured the herbs in your home herb garden and now you are seeing results. But what do you do now?  Don’t despair, using herbs from a home herb garden is the good part. This is the ecstasy.

Always remember that the harvesting of any produce is a two step process: gathering and storing. Storage needs planning, whilst gathering is usually arbitrary and depends on when you feel your plants to be ready.

One of the great benefits of herbs has always been their excellent storage capability without any great loss of their primary virtue. Using herbs from a home herb garden depends both on the type of herb and your intended usage; you need to prepare for one of several storage methods.  For aeons past herbs have been dried or pickled in salt or vinegar. Today we may add freezing to our storage arsenal. For instance, you can freeze culinary herbs in ice blocks for later use in stews and soups.

Using herbs from a home herb garden – rules of engagement – gathering.

There are some simple rules to follow when gathering or storing. The process is really not complicated. To gather effectively whilst preserving their virtues follow these rules:

1. In the week before gathering is to take place, avoid spraying any insecticide near plants.

2. A dry, balmy, moderate spell in June is your best option in Northern climes. (For Southern hemisphere gardeners this means around December)

3. Harvest in mid-morning to avoid excessive heat whilst harvesting.

4. Ensure target plants are insect-free.

5. Don’t be greedy. Remove 25% or less of any bushy plant to enable strong regrowth for later use. Discard damaged leaves or stems.

6. If possible, shelter the target plants with shade cloth the night before harvesting takes place. This should be placed over a frame to avoid contact with your plants.

Using herbs from a home herb garden – rules of engagement – storage and preservation.

We have already covered the choices here. (Drying, pickling or freezing) Let’s cover the how in broad terms. The most important thing when using herbs from a home herb garden is common sense; think about what you are about to do. If all went well with the harvesting, we now have a healthy batch of produce.

Storage method 1 – drying.

Preparation: Obtain a packet of rubber bands, a ball of string and some “s” shaped wire hooks.

Method: Take lengths of string and make ‘clotheslines’ in a shaded dry spot. Separate herbs to be dried into bunches comprising 5 to 10 stems. (Depending on type of herb – you will soon get a feel for quantities) Secure these together by twisting the rubber band around the base of the stems. Use the “s” wire hooks to hang the bunches on the ‘clotheslines’.

Storage method 2 – preserving.

Definitely my favourite way of using herbs from a home herb garden.

Preparation 1: Obtain several types of bottles with corks capable of a reasonably tight seal. (The following paragraphs will indicate what containers you will need) Steep clean fresh herbs in oil or vinegar. Rosemary, thyme, tarragon, mint, basil and sage all work well. Serve as a herb vinegar or use as a flavoured oil for cooking or salads. Create many similar ways of using herbs from a home herb garden by using your imagination.

Preparation 2: Obtain several types of containers with lids capable of a reasonably tight fit and a bag of coarse salt. Place herbs and salt in alternating layers in a container. (Old ice cream containers work for me) When all moisture is leeched out, remove herbs and use aromatic salt in table grinders.

Storage method 3 – freezing. A modern but effective way of using herbs from a home herb garden.

Preparation: Obtain a roll of wax paper and a wide flat container capable of use in a freezer.

Method: Tear or slice herbs into convenient sizes and place on layers of waxed paper in the wide, flat container. Place in freezer overnight. Remove container, discard wax paper and repack frozen herbs into more convenient freezer storage containers.

There are many variations to the above methods of using herbs from a home herb garden, but the first 2 have been used successfully for centuries (sans rubber bands, of course) and the freezing method is a simple one. Try these before you buy dehydrators or ruin your oven or microwave.

During the summer months it is easy to keep and sustain your home herb garden as the plants simply need the right amount of sunlight and moisture while growing.  You can harvest as much or as little as you need for the evening meal and do not have to pay much thought to their well-being. However, as the season changes the problem of how to winterize your home herb garden arises!  Depending on your climate, there are several options available for protecting your plants throughout the winter.

When you consider winterizing the home herb garden, just think how hard and deep your frosts are.  Most of the continental United States will touch freezing during the winter, but January in northern Georgia is very different from the same month in northern Minnesota.  The deeper the frosts and the colder the temperatures, the more precautions you will have to take in order for the herbs to see it through the winter.

The easiest solution is to let the annual herbs die off after the first frost and once they are brown and wilted just pull them up from your garden soil.  The home herb garden will not survive the winter, but the insects and earthworms can find a convenient home in their root system and when spring comes, you simply replant.  Since many herbs are grown from inexpensive seeds, this can be a good option for a harsh climate.

To save your home herb garden throughout winter you may be able to take the herbs indoors.  This works best if the herbs are kept in containers all year round since planting and replanting them can cause stress and in less hardy plants such as parsley, this can lead to stunted growth or even death.  During summer the containers can be placed outdoors or even submerged in the garden soil however, as soon as the first frost is imminent, you just need to shift these plants indoors and they should survive the winter.  

If you have decided to leave the plants in the home herb garden all winter, it will be good to prepare both the plants and the soil to stand up against the cold by making sure that the soil has good drainage. If there is too much moisture in the ground it can cause the roots to freeze with obvious, disastrous consequences.  A good tip for your home herb garden is to create a layer of thick insulation between the soil and the outer air and the best way to accomplish this is with a six inch layer of wood chips, straw or mulch; it will keep the soil from freezing for longer, as well as insulate the lower level of the plant against the cold.  You may experience some die off at the top, but the stem and roots should remain untouched maintaining the herbs alive till the next spring and your home herb garden will grow abundantly again.

Perennial herbs like rosemary will do well if they have the chance to build up their natural defenses against the cold which means that it is better not to prune them after August. You can still harvest enough herbs for mealtime from your home herb garden, but the more you prune back your plants the more new growth will be stimulated and this new part is the one thing to die off in winter. So let your herbs direct their energy toward making their leaves and stems thick and hardy rather than encouraging new growth.  The same goes for fertilizing too late in the season since this practice stimulates new shoots.  Keep the plants in your home herb garden watered even after the first couple of frosts because a little water in the morning is beneficial as the herbs will continue to lose moisture which is needed to help combat the cold.

Once the spring comes again check through the plants you left in your home herb garden to see how they managed the cold weather, it may be that they look dead but make sure to check at the base of the plant before giving it up for lost.  If need be, scrape off a small layer of bark to check for new growth underneath.  Severely prune back the dead leaves and wait a few weeks for the new leaves to grow from the stem nodes.  If you took the proper precautions and the winter was not unduly severe you will see your home herb garden back in bloom in just a few weeks.

Herbs have played an important role in the lives of people since time immemorial. Historically, herbs have been used for cooking, health, beauty and much more. Today, dried herbs and fresh are available at all supermarkets, but their growth at home is economical, easy and fun, and there is nothing like using fresh herbs in a home garden; herbs. The herbs chosen must meet the needs and desires of the gardener. Some of the best plants for a garden are thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil, chives, oregano, coriander and dill. Oregano, parsley and basil are instrumental in Italian cuisine. Rosemary and thyme are great with meat and poultry, and coriander is essential in the Latin cuisine. There are many other ways to use herbs for a kitchen herb garden next house. The best herbs for domestic applications are lavender, chamomile, aloe vera and mint. Lavender can be used in bags with a floral scent to discourage moths and if it can be put to sleep on the cushions to encourage. Sprinkled with the bath water, which promotes relaxation and stress reduction. Keep a jar of aloe growing in the kitchen for quick relief of burns. Simply cut a sheet, cut open, remove the gel inside the leaf and directly apply to the affected area. Enjoy a bath made of chamomile, oatmeal and milk powder, not only relax the senses, but smooth and soften the skin. Mint is known as the digestive and mint tea will settle disadvantages. Breathing a mixture of mint leaves in hot water will help clear sinuses. Most herbs require regular harvest discourage flowering. If the flowers of parsley, for example, the leaves yellow and the plant is bitter. The frequent crop can not be used fresh, dried herbs is relatively simple and can be stored for months until a later use, the herbs are not available. An herb garden can accommodate a large space in the garden, part of the garden, a pot on the terrace or a small bowl in the kitchen window. No matter how it is organized, using herbs for a herb garden at home is satisfying and fun, but also economic and ecological. It’s always nice to catch the grass, then the soup, taste and enjoy knowing that you were a man who had grown the grass itself. What a good feeling that is. By: Keith Greene Resources: http://www. NewHerbGarden. com