If you purchase a package or herbs, or grow your own, you face the challenge of using the fresh herbs quickly, or watching them perish. An alternative to discarding herbs that have gone bad is to prepare them for longer storage. There are three methods to store fresh herbs: hang them to dry, microwave them to dry or freeze them.
Instructions
Dry Herbs
1. The traditional and microwave method for drying herbs: Clean and dry the leaves. Remove the leaves that look withered or old.
2. For traditional drying: Gather the cleaned herbs into small bundles, much like a small bouquet. Tie the bottom of the bundle with cotton string.
For Microwave drying: Scatter leaves and sprigs evenly onto paper towels, and then microwave on high for 2 ? minutes. For Bay Leaves, you may have to microwave up to one minute longer.
3. For traditional drying:
Find an area to hang the herbs where they won't be disturbed for one week to 10 days. The key to success for the traditional method of drying herbs is in the drying location. Do not hang herbs near steam, heat or sunlight. Herbs dry best in darker, but well-ventilated areas.
4. For traditional drying:
Check the herbs in about 1 week.
For both microwave and traditional drying:
If a leaf crumbles, or feels brittle and breaks in your hand, your herbs are dry enough to store.
5. For both methods:
When leaves are dry, strip leaves from their stems and store in an airtight container. Baby food jars work well. Store them at room temperature.
Freeze Herbs
6. For Freezing Herbs: Wash, dry, and clean the herbs.
7. Arrange them in a single layer and place them into the freezer on a single sheet of wax paper.
8. When leaves have frozen, remove them from the freezer, chop them, and place them into airtight plastic storage bags. Be sure to remove all the air from the storage bag.
9. Return the herbs in their bags into the freezer.
Tags: traditional drying, drying herbs, fresh herbs, hang herbs, into freezer, method drying, method drying herbs