6 Ways to Preserve Herbs

The cold nights are here but some of my herbs are hanging onto life. Soon enough, there will be no fresh herbs from the yard and so just in case you have a few extra herbs to put up for the winter here are six tips to "waste not and want not," at least in the herb department.

1. Dry Obviously you can dry your herbs and this is definitely cheaper than buying them. Rinse herbs and pat dry with a paper towel. Allow them to air dry before you continue. You can continue to dry your herbs on a screen. I actually bought a small cheap screen at Wal-Mart for this purpose. You can also bundle your herbs and tie with a string. Hang upside down and tie a paper bag around the stems and bundle to catch any dried herbs as they fall from the stem. Store in a clean, dry airtight container


2. Freeze your herbs. I freeze a lot of herbs because they maintain a lot of their original fresh flavor when frozen. Now when I need thyme or tarragon, or rosemary for a soup, I don't have to rush to the grocery store and pay an exorbitant amount . Basil leaves don't freeze as well as other herbs but there are other options for your basil. For instance, I grow at least one basil plant in a portable pot so I can bring it indoors once the weather gets frosty.

To freeze: Rinse, pat and allow to air dry. Flash freeze overnight on a cookie sheet and then place in labeled bags and return to freezer.

3. Create Herb Butters. Herbs love to be wrapped in butter and I love to use herb butter to season my steaks or meat or even my biscuits. There are so many different combos. I like to stock up on chive butter for my baked potatoes but I also like a good sage, rosemary and thyme butter.

To create butter. Soften a half stick of butter on a piece of plastic wrap. Chop a tablespoon of herbs and then knead herbs into butter. Reshape into a log, Wrap in plastic wrap, label and freeze. To use: Remove from freezer and slice off portions, or allow to come to room temperature.

4. Make Pesto Just about any herb can be made into a pesto, although I have yet to try thyme. I keep ice cube portions of sage, basil, oregano and spinach pesto in my freezer. Here is my recipe for OREGANO PESTO:

5. Herb Vinegars

Any herb can be added to vinegar. Gourmet flavored vinegars are pricey in the store. Make your own to liven up your recipes or make some for holiday gifts. This recipe for tarragon vinegar can be adapted for any herb or combination of herbs. TARRAGON VINEGAR.

6. Herb Infused Oils Although I have not used this technique for edible oils, I totally intend to try Giada de Laurentiis's ROSEMARY INFUSED OIL. You can also infuse your oil with lavendar buds to create your own lavendar oil. I use mine in my bath water. Place a few fresh sprigs of lavendar in a clean and dry glass container. Cover with olive or almond oil. Make sure your sprigs are completely covered. Place in a dark cool spot and allow to sit for several weeks. Strain oil to remove lavendar and place in a sealed container.

Freezing Zuchinni Tips

Pretty little green things. I do love zucchini. Of course it is that time of year when your neighbors decide to gift you with their extra monsters from the garden, and not just one mind you, but several. I found several monsters on my doorstep Sunday evening, courtesy of my SIL who had received them from her neighbor. I am actually grateful for the zucchini, my plants have yet to give me even one squash. However, some of them were so big they inspired my son to pantomime hitting a baseball with one. It was time to get down and dirty with the shredder on my Bosch. Let's just say that in an act of sympathy for all of you other owners of prolific bounties of zucchini, I may just give you a zucchini week. How better to start the week off than a tip on how to freeze some of that zucchini. I always crave zucchini bread in the winter when all that is available is the scrawny pickings at the grocery store. I am happy to say that I am now the proud owner of 4 bags of 2 cup portions of shredded zucchini in my freezer, and I am only halfway through the pile sitting on my counter.

Shred zucchini at a medium grate. Two big of a grate and you have shreds acceptable for salads but not for the finer baked items. Two fine and you have pure liquid. If you are shredding large zucchinis scoop out or cut out the seed center. Those big squash have big seeds that just create a mess if not removed.

Using a steam basket or wire mesh strainer, place 1 to 2 cups of zucchini in strainer. Place strainer in a saucepan - three inches above a couple inches of water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Allow zucchini shreds to cool before placing in freezer pint or quart bags in 2 cup portions.

Tip: I place my small bags in a large gallon size freezer bag in order to keep track of all the baggies. You can also steam and freeze zucchini slices. Use frozen zucchini in baked items, soups or spaghetti sauce. Or try them in a delicious moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake -- Recipe coming tomorrow.

Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

I am on a semi diet again (ssh! I don't want to let my body know what my brain is planning. I become instantly hungry the moment I decide to eat better). As part of my dieting plan I decided I needed to eat more salads and that is Reason #1 that this beautiful orange poppy seed dressing had to be made. I am a big fan of poppy seed dressing. Unfortunately, it is a little over the top in the sugar department. This fresh citrus alternative may just save me as I launch my week of salads for lunch. It is nonfat and uses honey instead of refined sugar. The second reason: Have you seen the cost of salad dressing? If I want to climb out of an Italian dressing rut I need to start making some of my own dressings. I had all the ingredients for this pantry friendly dressing on hand. Although, I rarely buy straight orange juice concentrate. Next time I am going to make this dressing with the orange/pineapple juice I always have stocked. That ought to give it an interesting kick.

This dressing is quite tart but I am loving it on top of watermelon and spinach. If you want to sweeten it, add a touch more honey. All the credit for this recipe goes to Sue Dannahower who had it published at Taste of Home

Ingredients
4 tsp cornstarch
6 TB cold water
1 1/3 Cups Orange Juice
1/4 Cup white vinegar
4 tsp honey dijon mustard
4 tsp honey (add a little more for extra sweetness)
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt

In a medium saucepan, stir cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in the OJ, vinegar, mustard and honey. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Stir in poppy seeds and salt and chill in refrigerator.

TIP
Honey Mustard is a great flavor enhancer for many dishes. Buy an extra bottle next time it is on sale and add it to your pantry shelves. Also, spinach is a great garden staple. Plan on planting it this fall for Spring crop next year.

Mmm Mmm Tip: Bag Your Recipes

I am not very organized. In fact organization often eludes me. Therefore this next tip is decidedly not my own, although I think it is clever. One, talented food storage maven suggests keeping several recipe bags in your food storage. A recipe bag is a large Ziploc with all or most of the ingredients for a specific recipe. The photo above is an example of my pesto alfredo and red and white chili recipe. Each bag should also include a copy of the recipe. I did run out of room for everything in the red and white chili recipe. So either I need to have some larger Ziplocs on hand or use two bags for some recipes. There are a couple of benefits to bagging several of your favorite food storage recipes in this manner.
1. You don't have to go searching through all your piles (did I say piles, I meant beautifully arranged rows of cans and pantry items) to throw together an easy quick meal.
2. You don't have to take constant inventory of what is still available in your pantry. You already know what meals are readily available.
3. Once you empty a bag you simply restock it from your storage or add the ingredients to your grocery list. You have the recipe right there.
I thought this was a clever way to simplify your food storage cooking plan. My goal this week is to do at least 7 meals in bags. Then on those days when I am having a cooking block I can just go grab a bag.