lemon basil – MINDING MY P'S WITH Q

I love Lemon Basil. Not only does this wonderful herb have the kick of basil, it also has a lemony taste and smell. Lemon Basil thrived in my garden this summer and the time for a first harvest soon arrived.

I dried a good portion of the lemon basil in my turkey roaster, on low heat, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. Experimenting with an interesting technique for drying herbs was my choice for the remainder of the basil. In an online article from Mother Earth Living, I recently read of drying herbs uncovered in the fridge. I decided to give it a try. Mother Earth Living – Dry Your Herbs in the Fridge.

I placed the basil in a dish…

…And wedged it in the back corner of the fridge. Within a few days the basil was completely dried out.

The two techniques, after drying, side by side.

When mixed together, there are no obvious differences in either basil. Both are nicely dried and ready to be stored for using at a later date. Both techniques have their pluses: drying in the turkey roaster is quick, although you run the risk of over-drying and destroying the flavor. Drying in the fridge takes a few days, but there is no danger of burning your herb. Experiment and let me know if the fridge-drying technique works for you.

Autumn has arrived, winter approaches, I have been purchasing potted herbs to grow on my windowsill through the colder months. I will still take cuttings for rooting from my outdoor herbs, but they will not reach harvest size until Spring of 2015. In the meantime, when I need fresh herbs through the winter, I will “pinch” them from my lovely windowsill garden. Another plus in growing herbs indoors is the scent they “whisper” into the air when you run your hands over them…heavenly!

Photo collage courtesy of Picmonkey.com

Our area of the country experienced a very cool summer, but my herbs didn’t seem to mind and have thrived. I don’t want to waste the bounty of my gardens so over the next few days I will be harvesting everything I have room to store. I will hang aromatic herbs such as lavender, catnip, and a portion of my mints, in dark closets to dry. Those I use in cooking I will freeze in ice cube trays.

Step 1

Soak herbs in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Remove the herbs from the water, check for debris, refill and repeat process at least three times. There is no need for scrubbing or agitation, the water floats the dirt away leaving the essential oils intact. (Organic potted herbs grown inside do not need to be washed.)

Step 2

There is no need to dry sprigs when they are finished soaking. Break leaves away from the stem, place inside empty ice cube trays, add water and freeze.

Step 3

Remove frozen cubes from tray.

Step 4

Place inside a labeled zip-lock freezer bag and store in the freezer. Your “fresh” herbs are now available anytime you are ready to cook a good meal. The cubes are terrific for making soups and stocks. I also freeze onion, scallions, peppers and other produce for quick stocks.