Harvesting Herbs From a Home Herb Garden
Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010
by Sarah Phillips
HerbGardeningCentral.com
Your herbs are mature after you have nurtured them with water and care from seedlings or seed. Congratulations. The harvest time has arrived and it is time to put your herbs to the use they are intended. A few more steps and you will be cooking with fresh herbs in no time.
Harvesting your herbs is the next step before you can put them to use. It is important that you consider the weather when planning a harvest. The herb's essential oil can dissipate with wind and heat, and wet weather causes your plant to produce less oil. Plan your harvest on a calm, dry morning during midsummer, if possible.
While using fresh herbs is a wonder treat sometimes your herbs are giving you more than you can use. When that happens simply preserve the extra herbs for future use. One point to remember is that you should not take more than one-third of the plant or foliage at any one time. Your herb plant will need plenty of foliage to continue to have healthy growth. Also, before harvesting inspect your plants for damage from insects or disease.
Usually there are three basic methods of preservation that most people use; drying, freezing, or pickling (preserving in a medium like salt or vinegar).
The most common preservation method is drying. To correctly dry herbs simply bundle six to twelve stems together, removing any leaves near the base of the stems. Tie the bundle together at the base with a piece of butchers twine. Hang your bundle out of the sun in a cool place. Should you have individual leaves then place these on a rack or screen. Turn these often to ensure proper, even drying. Some gardeners use appliances like dehydrators, ovens or microwaves to dry their herbs. These work well but the heat produces a less than satisfactory product.
An easy preservation method is freezing. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and place cut herbs onto the paper. Simply slide the baking sheet into the freezer. Once the herbs are frozen transfer the herbs to a plastic freezer bag. Write the name of the herb on the outside of the zipper bag for future reference.
A third way to preserve herbs is using a medium or preservation agent. Place herbs such as tarragon, basil, or mint (chopped) in a bottle or jar and cover with vinegar. This "pickling" will preserve the herbs for several months. Just as salt was once used to preserve meat, salt can be used to preserve herbs. Alternate layers of fresh herbs and salt until all of the herbs are covered. Once the herbs are completely dry separate the dried herbs from the now flavored salt and store in an airtight container.
Take advantage of your harvest time to enjoy fresh herbs. Always clean your herbs before using. Fill a bowl with cool water and stir in a couple of tablespoons of salt. Place your herbs in the salt-water. The salt drives off any attached insects without damaging the plant. Remove the herbs from the water and lightly pat dry with dish towels or use a salad spinner.
Read all you can about the herbs you grown as each have a best way to harvest, chop, and use. With a little homework you will understand the subtleties of your herb and how to use it correctly.
Sarah Phillips is an herb gardening enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this wonderful hobby.
She gives more tips on a home herb garden Herb Gardening Central.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I like herbs, this is very usefulThank you Dorine. Since you like this check out my website.Happy Herb Gardening!Sarah
Sarah,Thanks for the article! We'll have to try drying some of our herbs next summer.Dan,Thank you for the feedback.Happy Herb Gardening!Sarah
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