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There is nothing like a ripe, red tomato straight from the garden. The tomato harvest from our garden has really picked up.

It has certainly been a productive year with zucchini, cucumbers and green beans galore. I recently told someone, tongue in cheek, that it is amazing how well a garden can perform when you consistently weed, water and harvest. It takes effort and investing some of our extra time sticking around home has been paying off. 

A few years ago, I began planting herbs in containers. I keep those containers close to the house, so they are easy to access right outside my door.

I will admit I was a little inconsistent in remembering to water them during May and June. But then I had an aha moment.

After dumping the water from the basement dehumidifier down the drain daily for the umpteenth time, I asked myself, “Isn’t there something useful I could be doing with this perfectly good water?” And so, a new habit began of quenching the herbs and container flowers with our captured water. 

Needless to say, my herbs have been growing much better. So much so that I have more basil, oregano and rosemary than I can possibly cook with right now.

There are several different options for preserving herbs. Drying is probably the one that comes to mind first for most people. You can dry herbs in the oven, microwave, dehydrator or simply by air drying. 

My preferred method is freezing. It is simple and can be done relatively quickly. I’ll note that freezing significantly slows the growth of microorganisms that can cause food spoilage or foodborne illness, but it will not kill them. Therefore, practice good hand hygiene and avoid cross contamination when preparing to preserve your herbs.

Herbs should be frozen at their peak freshness for best results. It is recommended to use frozen herbs within three to six months for best quality, though they are safe to eat for at least a year. Like all leafy plant tissue, freezing herbs will result in a mushier texture than when fresh. Therefore, using these herbs in cooked dishes will be the most ideal.

You can freeze whole or cut herbs. My favorite way to chop herbs is to cut them with kitchen shears. It is much easier and quicker than using a knife. One method is to place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer for approximately two hours. I like to chop herbs and place about one teaspoon per section of an ice cube tray. Then fill each section with one or two tablespoons of olive oil or water. Once these are frozen, you can pop them out and place them in a zip top freezer bag. This makes it super easy to add fresh herb taste to soups and casseroles this fall and winter. 

Another fun idea is to freeze mint with added water in ice cube trays. Add freshly brewed tea to a glass of these mint ice cubes for a cool summer drink. Or make some infused water with blackberries or lime and add some mint ice cubes to your glass. Herbs and fruit combinations like blueberry orange basil and watermelon rosemary are deliciously refreshing during these dog days of summer. 

You can learn more by visiting Ohioline.osu.edu and typing “herbs” into the search. 

Today I’ll leave you with this quote from Robert Louis Stevenson: “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 740-622-2265.

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