Left Over Herbs

Left over Herbs

If your thanksgiving menu looked anything like mine you have to have some left over herbs. My recipes Thursday called for rosemary, thyme, savory and chives. It is always a shame for them to go to waste. So before they begin to loose color or wilt do one of two things, freeze them or dry them and you will have fresh seasonings all winter long.

There are many methods to keeping herbs for the coming months and these I found very easy and quick.

Freeze whole leaves

Boil water in a 3 Qt Sauce Pan and blanch the leaves of parsley/ cilantro/ basil etc. for 3 -5 seconds. Dry off in a cloth and separate the leaves from the steam and lay flat in a freezer bag and place in the freezer.

Ice Cube Trays

Pulse the leaves of the herbs in a food mill. Mix in oil and fill each cube ¾ of the way full and freeze. Pop out frozen cubes into a sealed freezer bag. Another option is to keep the leaves whole and fill the tray ¾ full of water.

Microwave

Pull the leaves off the stems and lay the leaves between two paper towels. Microwave on high for 2 minutes 20 seconds and brush the leaves on to a cutting board and chop. Place dried herbs into a spice shaker and they should keep for 6- 12 months.

Cheese Cloth

Place the whole stem and leaves across the cheese cloth and wrap tying off at each end. The herbs should be loose for good air circulation. Place them either upside down in a dark place or in your refrigerator. It will take 2 weeks to fully dry out. Untie the cheese cloth, discard any molded stems and shake the dried herbs to loosen them. Place them in an airtight storage container.