How To Store Dried Herbs
Pack the leaves at once into small jars. Label these and store them in a fairly dark place. Do not be tempted to show off the fruits of your labor in clear glass jars on the window sill, no matter how charmingly old-fashioned and good-housewifely they look. Use pottery or opaque jars with tight covers. If you do use clear glass jars, either paint them black or some other dark shade, or keep them in a dark place. I store my herbs in tin cans or pint jars in a cupboard which is seldom opened. The smaller jars, which are left out for daily use, are refilled from these.
With those herbs which you keep near the stove?and do keep some there along with the salt and pepper?you have an opportunity for attractive display. These are ideally stored in small jars. A collection of very small milk-white cosmetic jars is wonderful. You can label each one with enamel, nail polish, or design your own labels. The smallest available apothecary jars from the variety store are also attractive and inexpensive, and if you like to see herbs through the glass, by all means use these near your stove.
Since these jars are small and you need not fill them to the top, the contents will be used before they lose their fragrance and flavor. Remember?as each jar becomes empty, do not refill on top of the old supply. You will be mixing the fresh with the stale, and the entire jarful will be spoiled. Either use your entire supply before refilling, or in a madly spendthrift way, throw away the last half-inch and replenish from your bank of stored fragrance.
Drying and storing herbs is a bit of work. But when you sprinkle them into the stew pot or brew an aromatic herb tea, you will surely agree with our friend Culpeper: ?So shall one handful be worth ten of those you buy.?
Freezing Herbs
Some herbs surely must go into your freezer. For one thing, it is so easy to preserve them by this method that you won’t be able to resist. Then, too, there are a few herbs, like dill, chives and burnet, which are not readily adapted to drying.
Even if you potted some of the following herbs so that you could use them fresh, think of the comfort of being able to open the freezer and take out a packet of herbs all ready for the kettle, or to sprinkle over a finished dish. And think of the flavor-insurance should something happen to your growing herbs! Do try freezing a few of these:
Basil, Sorrel, Parsley, Fennel, Chervil, Tarragon, Burnet, Mint, Dill leaves, Lovage, Chives, Sweet marjoram
Now I am not suggesting that you should freeze all of your herbs. Some, such as thyme and sage, are not worth the bother. They are as good or better dried. But if you plan to make bouquets of mixed herbs for freezing, you will want to include sage and thyme in the frozen packets.
The method of gathering herbs for freezing is much the same as for those which are to be dried.
Gather in the early morning on a sunny day before the sun is too hot. Cut tops with stems long enough so that they can be tied in small bunches. Knot a loop of thread around the stems so that you can dip the herbs into hot water without scalding your fingers.
Arrange sprigs of herbs singly by variety, or in combinations; group them just as you will use them in cooking. Combinations and herb bouquets save time and trouble later, as long as you label them now.
If necessary, wash quickly in cold running water and dry on absorbent paper. Keep water boiling for blanching. Dip only a few herbs at a time.
