Many Uses for Herbs from Your Home Garden
You have planted the herbs and watched them grow and flourish. They are extremely useful in so many ways.But, using herbs from a home herb garden requires a little bit or work first. In order to use the herbs you will need to harvest them first. 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. Fewer oils are produced by the herb on extremely wet days.
Harvest the herbs just after the dew has dried form the leaves right before the flowers open Harvesting the herb does not mean removing the entire plant. At this point, you are just taking a certain amount of growth for use. You do not need to use the herbs that you are harvesting at the time that you pick them. You can preserve them to use later. Be careful not to take more then one third of the plant’s foliage at one time. The plant will need a good amount of foliage to re-grow well. You should also inspect the plant for insects and damaged leaves before you harvest it.
Generally, people use one of three techniques for preserving herbs and they are freezing, drying or using a substance such as salt or vinegar. Drying is one of the easiest and preferred methods for preservation. To dry your home herb garden herbs you simply take 6-12 herb stems and bundle them together. Remove the leaves or foliage from the lower part of the stem and then tie them together with string. You will want to hang your bundle from your home herb garden in a cool, dry place void of sunshine. Some people prefer to dry only the leaves and use a rack or screen instead. For individual leaves, you will have to remember to turn your herbs often so that they dry evenly. In the modern age, many people have tried appliances like microwaves, ovens and dehydrators though the results are not as satisfactory.
Freezing herbs is a fairy simple way to preserve herbs. Cut the herbs into 1/4 inch pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Once the herbs are frozen, you can place them together in a bag and store them in the freezer until use.
The third way to preserve herbs is through a medium. For instance, you can cover herbs like chopped mint, basil or tarragon with vinegar and it will be preserved for several months. Or you can make a flavored salt to preserve herbs by alternating layers of fresh herbs between salt. When completely dry separate the brown herb from the flavored salt and store it in an airtight container.
Fresh herbs can spice up any recipe and many people choose to use them right out of their home herb garden. When you want to use fresh herbs, it is important that you rinse them very well to remove debris and pests. The simplest way to clean your herbs is to place them in a cool bowl of water or for cases where you have a large amount of herbs you can use the sink. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt to the mix, which will force out any hidden pests but not harm the herb. Once your herbs are clean, you can remove them from the water and use a salad spinner to dry them.
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.
Want to find out more about Home Herb Gardening, then visit Chris Tietgens site on how to grow your own herbs using Home Herb Gardening “Secrets” .