Do you have herbs in your garden and don’t really know what to do with them once they’ve grown? You can use the following methods to store them for your own use or you can hand them to friends as gifts:
Drying herbs to preserve the potency of herbs for cooking and for medicinal purposed. People dry herbs by using a dehydrators, or a kitchen oven. Others prefer to air-dry herbs.
Simply lay them out on screens or hang them in an open space without direct sunlight until they dry. These herbs can keep up to a year if stored in a cool dry place.
For herbs which will be used almost immediately, freezing is also one option although this is not advisable for herbs with high water content such as basil.
You can also preserve herbs in liquid such as consumable alcohol (tinctures), vinegar, and oil. Simply put herbs and liquid in a jar and cap it very tightly. Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight for 2-3 weeks until the liquid is infused with the herb’s smell and flavor.
For tinctures, you can use vodka and pour i, barely topping the herbs. For oil and vinegar, pour enough into the jar to cover the herbs completely.
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