The Home Herb Garden-How To Use Your Herbs
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
You have planted the herbs and watched them grow and flourish. Hopefully you will now know how very useful they can be in lots of different ways. However, you will also know that for a successful home herb garden, there is a bit of work needed.
In order to use the herbs you will need to harvest them first and timing is a huge factor. The wind and the heat can disperse the essential oils of the herbs. You should choose a calm and dry morning during midsummer to harvest your herbs. On very wet days, herbs make very little of their oils. So wait for a few hours for the early morning dew to evaporate from the leaves and then pick them just before the flowers open. Click here for more: home herb gardening
Harvesting the herb does not mean removing the entire plant. You just want to take what you need at that time. You do not need to use the herbs that you are harvesting at the time that you pick them. They can always be preserved for later use.It is important that you leave at least two thirds of the plants foliage ant any time. This will help the herb to recover and re-grow. You should also inspect the plant for insects and damaged leaves before you harvest it.
Typically there are three ways that people preserve their herbs for later use; drying, freezing, or preserving them in a medium like salt or vinegar. For drying, you can bunch the stems of six to twelve together removing any unwanted leaves at the base. Tie the bundle up with some gardening string. Hang the bundle in a cool location away from sunlight. For individual leaves, place them on a drying rack. Don’t forget to turn them regularly so they can 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. For more visit our blog: Herb Garden Blog
Freezing is a fairly easy method of presaervation. Place the ¼ inch cut herbs onto a baking tray covered with wax paper. When frozen store them in a freezer bag until they are needed.
The third way to preserve herbs is through a medium. Vinegar is very good for preserving prepared mint, basil or tarragon and will remain usable for many months. Or you can preserve your herbs by using alternate layers of flavored salt. When completely dry separate the brown herb from the flavored salt and store it in an airtight container.
Of course, people often use herbs fresh right out of the garden. Make sure you clean them properly before using them. To clean them correctly, place them in a bowl of clean cool water. If there is a large quantity of herbs you can use the sink. Add about two tablespoons of salt to the water. The salt in the water will drive away insects without damaging the plant. Remove the herbs from the water and dry them in a salad spinner.
Different types of herbs are used for many different uses. Each different type of herb has their own list of instructions on how to use, harvest, and chop them. Make sure into research the specific type of herb you are using to use it correctly. Click here for more: Herb Garden Facts
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