Dry out herbs and
vegetables that is. Fresh herbs, from
the garden or produce section of your local market, adds a huge burst of flavor
to cooking whether in the kitchen or outdoors.
However, what happens to all those fresh herbs if they’re not used
immediately? Left in the refrigerator,
they lose scent, flavor, shrivel and rot; there goes good money into the
compost heap, or the trash bin. There is
an alternative that will save money, and provide you with herbs in months to
come; dry them! You've seen them in
every supermarket or health food store grocery section; whether in bottles or
bags there is a big advantage to using dried herbs. First off, when stored in an air tight
container, they can last up to six months; so check the expiration date when
buying. Secondly, when used in cooking,
the aroma and flavor is much stronger than fresh; especially helpful when using
a slow cooker for a recipe.
When it comes to
vegetables, have you seen the prices for dried mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes
(bagged or packed in oil)!?! Why buy
expensive brands of "sun-dried" tomatoes or peppers when you can make
your own, and always have them at the ready in your own pantry? A Food Dehydrator is one method of drying herbs
by using a system of heat (average temperatures of 130F to 160F) and vented air
to draw moisture out of thinly sliced foods, or herbs. I bet you only thought they were good for
making jerky. For example, take a carton
of baby portabella mushrooms, slice them 1/8 inch thin, the dehydrator will
extract all the moisture; just put them into a zippered food bag to be used at
your leisure. The mushroom slices can be
easily reconstituted by soaking them in plain water before usage. Red bell peppers and Roma tomatoes; just
slice, dehydrate and store them in an air tight jar with olive oil, or simply
in an air tight bag. Want to make your
own potato or veggie chips? Lightly season
the slices (flavor gets stronger during drying) before you place them in the
dehydrator; no frying, no oils; just the tastes you want.
You don't have to go to
the expense of a dehydrator to dry herbs. Herbs that are on long stems can be tied
together with string (butcher’s twine is best), making sure to leave a loop at
the top. A simple "s" ring, or
even a paperclip opened up to give it two "hooked" ends will work
well as hanging tools. Remember to label
your tied bunches of herbs for many will look extremely different dried than
they did as fresh; smell might help tell them apart, but why take the chance? Hang the herbal bunches in an area of the home
that doesn't have a lot of foot traffic; don't know how many times I've had
someone knock them down with a swinging coat sleeve.
Herbs with small and
abundant leaves, such as Rosemary, can be left to dry on their stems. When
completely dried out, you can either shake the leaves off which can be rather
messy; or grab the cut end of the stem, hold it firmly with one hand while
using fingers from the other hand to gently slide the dried leaves off right
into an open baggie. Whatever method you
use for drying your herbs, remember to label and date your air tight containers
or bags, so you'll know which is which, and when your six month expiration is
up.
Italian Herb Mix - Fresh Leaves |
Italian Herb Mix - Dried Leaves |
One more method for
storing herbs, but this concerns a non-drying method; freezing. You can take a single herb, or a grouping for
a particular need, chop them up fresh and place a good pinch in the bottom of
each section of an ice cube tray. Cover
the herbs with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of water and place the trays in the freezer.
Once frozen, pop the ice cubes into a
freezer safe bag; don't forget to label them; when you need those herbs for a
recipe, they're ready and waiting. Remember
to take into account the measurement of water that will be added when you pop those
ice cubes in with your other ingredients.
Whichever method you use,
or perhaps make use of all of them, you'll be in control of your dried herbal
or vegetable stockpile; you'll know where they came from, and what has, or has
not, been added.
Mary Cokenour