Generated November 1, 2009
Harvesting Herbs!
Brought to by: Melody Ann's and “The Encyclopedia of Country Living” – updated 9th edition by Carla Emery
NOTE: If you want to gather wild herbs, keep in mind that road-sides, fields and even forests can get unannounced and unrecorded but heavy doses of herbicide or insecticide. Be cautious.
When to Harvest:
Gather herbs on a dry day, early in the morning but after the dew is off. The season to harvest varies with the species. Parsley and chervil are dried in May, June, and July; burnet and tarragon in June, July, and August; marjoram and mint in July; summer savory and lemon thyme at the end of July and August. The tender young leaves that appear before the flowering are usually best. Get leaves before the plants show sighs of going to seed. That happens after they blossom, when the blossoms turn into seed clusters and their energy goes into making seed. At best the plant is not at its prime; at worst it gets bitter.
How to Harvest:
Cut the herbs with pruning shears or scissors and put them into clean pillowcases or some such. Don't cut to the ground; leave at least a 4-inch stem if you're topping an annual. It it's a perennial; leave at least two-thirds of the plant unharmed. Then take the herbs home and carefully puck them over. Rinse in cool water and drain.
Preserving Herbs
If you can't pick from your herb plants all winter long or bring some into the house in pots, you either freeze or dry your herbs for winter use. Whether freezing or drying, label all containers. Frozen and dried herbs tend to look alike, and you may not be able to smell the difference.
Freezing:
Wash if needed, shake off excess water, package in small amounts in baggies or boxes, and freeze right away. Herbs that freeze well are anise, basil, chives, coriander, dill, lovage, marigold, mint, oregano parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, sweet marjoram, tarragon, and thyme. Take out of the freezer only the amount you intend to use.
Drying:
Outside:
Spread individual leaves or leaves still on the stem (they'll be easier to get off one dried) on sheets of clean cloth to dry in the shade in an airy place, or dry in a very slow oven or dehydrator. Or put them in an outdoor dryer covered with cheesecloth and place where there's good air circulation all around. Direct hot sunlight ruins leaves by burning or browning, a little sun early or late in the day is OK. The aromatic herbs shouldn't be exposed to too much heat, and don't let them get rained or dewed on.
Hanging Bunches:
Cut off the top 6 inches of the plant, or use whole plants, bunch them, tie the bundles with string, and hang them up with the root end upward in a shady, airy place. (They hold the flavor better when not powdered.) Allow at least 2 weeks for drying Hanging works well with anise, basil, marigold, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage savory, tarragon, and thyme. If you dry your herbs whole like this, crumble them or rub them through a sieve to remove the stems, and midribs when you're ready to use them.
In an Oven or Dehydrator:
Spread in shallow pans at 110°F, with the door ajar if you're using an oven Don't mix different kinds of herbs. It takes an average of 8 hours.
Big Leaf/Small Leaf:
Some herbs are huge plants (as tall as 6 feet high) with real big leaves, or evens trees. Drying big, moist-lived plants is harder than doing small ones. With comfrey, forage, ginkgo and costmary, you can tear the midrib away from the rest of the leaf and then tear the rest of the leaf into smaller pieces. That helps the leaves dry better and prevents mold. Or hang these big leaves individually to dry.
Mint, lemon balm, and most other small-leaved kitchen herbs easily dry in the shade within 3 days. Tearing the small leaves away from the stem (which can then be discarded) speeds up the process. The problem with tearing the leaves is that they don't hold their flavor as well.
Turn all drying leaves once or twice a day keep good air circulation. Here are Melody Ann's we prefer to hang all herbs with a slow moving ceiling fan, most people to do have the room for this so, thick leaves tend to be frozen more than dried.
Roots:
Herb roots are generally better fresh rather dried. Dig in the fall after the leaves are dead and the roots are mature, or before they start growing again in the spring. Wash in cool water. Dry in a place that's warm enough to dry them soon but that's not exposed to the sun, such as an attic. Or slice and dry in a shady place where air circulation is good. Dry in the sun or oven only if you can't dry them completely the first way. Store when thoroughly dry and brittle. If protected from extremes of heat and cold, the roots will keep fine for years. Store so as to protect them from the air as much as possible.
Seeds:
To save herb seeds, pick the entire stalk when the seedpods are fully formed but have not yet burst. Spread the pods on a cloth in the sun to dry. If it takes more than one day, stir occasionally while they are outside and bring them in at night. When your seeds are dry, shell and store them in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place.
Flowers:
Don't bruise or overheat. Collect just after they have bloomed. Don't pile them up; dry on a screen if possible. Harvest orange flowers and elderberry flowers in May, June, and July.
Storing Dried Herbs:
To store leaves, seeds or roots, I use baby food jars, cleaned, dried, filled, and with the lid on tightly. Keeping herbs in airtight containers helps prevent flavor deterioration. The fewer times you open the lid, the better they keep their strength. And try to keep them in a cool, dark, dry place away from heat – not on a shelf over or beside your stove! The cool storage inhibits evaporation of the flavoring oil in the herb, and the darkness protects the color, which fades when exposed to light.
Cooking with Dried Herbs:
They are at least 3 times as strong as fresh. So figure 1 teaspoon dried herb equals 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herb. Another way to figure it is about 1 teaspoon dried herb in a dish for four.
Generated 2009
