Using Herbs from a Home Herb Garden

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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

You have planted the herbs in your home herb garden and watched them grow and flourish. Herbs are extremely useful in so many different ways. But, using herbs from a home herb garden requires a little bit or work first.

In order to use the herbs you will need to harvest them first. Timing is a huge factor. Wind and sunlight deprives the herbs of their essential oils. You should choose a calm and dry morning during midsummer to harvest your home herb garden. Herbs produce little oil during the wet season.

Harvest the herbs just after the dew has dried form the leaves right before the flowers open. Harvesting the herb does not mean removing the entire plant. Remember that you are only taking a small part of the plant for personal use.

You don’t necessarily have to use the herbs right after you have picked them from your home herb garden. You can keep them for future use. Be careful not to take more than one third of the plant’s foliage at one time. The plant will need a good amount of foliage to re-grow well. You should also inspect the plants for insects and rotten leaves before you harvest them.

There are three ways you can preserve your herbs after harvesting your home herb garden: by drying, freezing or preserving them in salt or vinegar. Place herbs to dry by making a bundle of six to twelve stems together, removing any leaves left at the base of the stem. You can use any kind of string to secure the bundles. Hang the bundle in a cool location away from sunlight.

If you are looking to dry individual leaves you can place them on a screen or a rack. Remember to turn them often in order for them to dry properly. Some people have turned to using appliances like dehydrators, ovens or microwaves to dry herbs as well, although these are less satisfactory ways.

Freezing herbs is a fairly simple way to preserve herbs. Cut the herbs into ¼ inch pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Once the herbs are frozen, you can place them together in a bag and store them in the freezer until use.

The third way to preserve herbs is through a medium. For instance, you can cover herbs like chopped mint, basil or tarragon with vinegar and it will be preserved for several months. Or you can make a flavored salt to preserve herbs by alternating layers of fresh herbs between salt. When completely dry, separate the brown herb from the salt then place it in an airtight container.

Of course, people often use herbs fresh right out of their home herb garden. Take care cleaning the herbs before they are placed fresh in recipes. In order to clean fresh herbs place them in a bowl filled with cool water. If there is a large quantity of herbs you can use the sink. Place about two tablespoons of salt in the water. The salt in the water will drive away insects without damaging the plant. You can then remove the herbs from the water to dry in a salad spinner.

Different types of herbs in a home herb garden are used for many different uses. Each type has instructions on its use, method of harvest, and preparation. Make sure to research the specific type of herb you are using to use it correctly.

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