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5 Easy Ways to Preserve Your Herbs
Got some leftover herbs from your harvest? Don’t let them go to waste. Preserving herbs is easier than you might imagine. Here are 5 easy ways you can preserve them and enjoy them for longer:
1. Using the Click & Grow Herb Saver
The easiest way to triple the lifespan of your fresh Click & Grow herbs. You simply pop open the shell, insert your herbs, clip the door shut, then fill the small water reservoir with fresh, cold water. The Herb Saver prolongs the lifespan of your herbs for an extra 3 weeks. Click here to learn more.
Store your favourite herbs in the Click & Grow Herb Saver
2. Freezing
Freezing is a very commonly used method for preserving herbs, ensuring all the goodness of vitamins and minerals remain viable. Most herbs in our selection are suitable for freezing, especially dill, parsley and all basils. Frozen herbs tend to stay fresh for a whole year. Here’s how you can freeze them:
- Place herbs in a single layer of single leaves on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Alternatively, place chopped herbs in an ice cube tray with some water for individual portions.
- Freeze overnight and then pour in a jar or a bag and put it back in the fridge asap. Don’t forget to add a label with a name and date (herbs tend to look quite similar when frozen).
- Another option is to pre-make homemade pesto or herb butter. It can be frozen in small portions in parchment paper, jars or ice cube trays. That will definitely save some time later while cooking.
3. Air drying
Ideal herbs for drying include dill, parsley, peppermint, rosemary and thyme. Some herbs are even greater when they are dried compared to when they are fresh, e.g. marjoram, mountain savory, lavender, and some tea herbs like peppermint, apple mint, lemon balm and cinnamon basil. A jar filled with dried herbs also makes a great gift. Here’s a simple way to dry your herbs:
- Trim off the healthiest looking branches from your herbs.
- Remove any old leaves and debris.
- Tie up to 6 stems together in a bundle.
- Hang upside down in a warm, well ventilated room for up to 2 weeks to avoid becoming dusty.
- Later store in a jar or paper bag.
4. Oven drying
If you live in a humid environment, you don’t own a herb dryer device or dehydrator and need a fast way to dry your herbs, you could use your oven.
- Lay herbs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place in the oven at 150° F but never hotter. Leave the oven door slightly open.
- Regularly check your herbs and take them out of the oven when they’re crumbly. This can take up to 4 hours.
- Store in an airtight container. Can be kept for up to a year. Don’t forget to add a label with name and date.
5. Infused herb oil
It’s super easy to make fragrant cooking oil that’s full of flavour. Use just one herb or your favourite mix of herbs.
- Choose a good quality oil for the base, e.g. extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, etc.
- Use dried herbs to avoid contaminants.
- Always use clean, sterilized jars that can easily be sealed air tight.
- Add one specific herb or a mix of dried herbs according to your preference. Feel free to use as many as you like. More leaves means more flavour.
- Let it sit for at least two weeks and strain into a sterilized bottle after the infusion process is done. Add label.
Grow the freshest, tastiest herbs any time of year.
