San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
HOWTO PRESERVE SPRING HERBS
4 easyways to save the flavors; 4 deliciousways to use them
For all we’ve lost during the coronavirus outbreak — from dinner parties at home to a night at the neighborhood watering hole and beyond — there’s one upside: So many of us have discovered our green thumbs.
Victory gardens have sprouted up around the country, many of those lush with a wide range of herbs. And, oh, were lessons learned by gardeners, new and experienced alike.
San Antonio chef James Canter and his wife, Maureen Canter, planted about 15 varieties of herbs this year, including five types of mint. Those plants, which found homes in raised beds, pots and hanging baskets, have resulted in more mint than either know what to do with.
“Mint brings me joy,” Canter said. “We both love mint, but maybe not that much.”
The Canters, with abundant free time on their hands courtesy of the COVID-19 restaurant closures, also took the time to prepare their herb beds with precision: the right sun exposure, freshly tilled soil, ground covers to keep the weeds at bay, and plenty of mulch to help retain water and keep the plants’ root temperatures moderate. And the work paid off.
“I got a lot out of this growing season in particular. The most important thing, I would say, was placement in proximity to sun and shade is a huge factor,” Canter said. “We put some basil plants in the ground with just enough afternoon sun to make the things blow up. They’re overhead now.”
With the growing season coming to a close for much of that greenery in South Texas, this week we’re highlighting four ways to preserve that aromatic bounty for the coming months. Whether it’s a mountain of mint or bales of basil you’re sitting on, we have a method that will work for you.
The life of herbs is easy to extend through drying, infusing in oil, freezing in cubes and processing into a paste.
We’ll teach you how to do all of that and share recipes using the results of each technique.
Dried herbs: In general, the potency of herbs is lessened somewhat when dried. This method works best for aggressive herbs such as oregano and marjoram, and those with tough stems and small leaves like thyme. It’s also a useful technique for delicate herbs, such as dill, that stay fairly soft and tender when dried.
There are two basic approaches: air-drying and oven-drying. For the former, tie five or six sprigs of herbs together at the stem — you want the bundles small enough for air to flow
around them — and place them stem-side up in a paper bag punctured with a few holes. They’ll dehydrate in as little as a week when stored at room temperature. Store in airtight containers.
To dry herbs quickly in the oven, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake them at 180 degrees or less (your oven’s “warm” setting is perfect for this) for two to four hours until thoroughly dried. Let them cool completely before storing.
Herb-infused oil: This method works with many herbs, but is most useful for plants with tough, woody stems such as rosemary, oregano and thyme.
Place the fresh herbs, still on their stems, in a sealable jar or bottle large enough to leave couple inches of empty space at the top. Pour enough olive oil in the container to completely cover the herbs, and seal the bottle or jar. Place the jar in a sunny window and give it a shake once a day for about three weeks. After that, strain the oil into a bottle, squeezing as much of the oil from the plants as you can.
A quicker method is to heat 2 cups of oil in a saucepan to a low temperature on the stovetop. Remove the pan from the heat and submerge the herbs in the oil. Let the oil cool to room temperature and strain. Olive oil will lose some of its flavor when heated, so this process works well with neutral oils such as safflower or grapeseed.
Herb ice cubes: One of the easiest and most convenient way to store herbs, this technique will leave you with a freezer full of herb-packed blocks of olive oil or butter ready to use in vinaigrettes, quick pasta dishes, potato salad, soups and more. Herbs with tender leaves such as basil, cilantro, mint and tarragon work particularly well here.
The method is simple. You can leave the leaves whole or chop them as desired. Fill each cell of an ice cube tray about two-thirds of the way with the herbs and top the cells with olive oil or melted butter. Place the trays in the the freezer overnight or until completely solid. Transfer the herb cubes to a sealable plastic bag and leave them in the freezer to use as needed.
Herb paste: Herbs processed to a paste with a bit of oil is the least shelf-stable way of preserving — they’ll last up to a month in the refrigerator — but it’s a fast and convenient way to make the most of a bumper crop of tender herbs such as basil, chives, mint, cilantro, parsley or dill. This is a fun way to play with combinations of herbs as well, such as parsley and chive, or any other mixture.
To make the paste, place 2 to 4 cups of leaves in a food processor or blender. While the blades are spinning, add just enough olive oil to allow the herbs to blend into a smooth paste. You don’t want to add more oil than necessary.
Once the paste reaches the desired consistency, transfer it to a sealable container and refrigerate. Alternatively, you can spread the paste on parchment paper and freeze it. Once solid, break the paste into chunks and place in a sealable bag in the freezer.