» These herb-based recipes are perfect for summer,

When you grow herbs, you can certainly use them fresh, but Noelle Joy of UGArden’s herb farm can help us preserve the harvest for use all year-round.

Her tips for drying herbs:

■ Keep them in an area with good air flow, using a fan if needed to keep air circulating. This is particularly important in humid Georgia.

■ Keep them out of direct sunlight, which can turn the herbs brown and reduces their essential oils. “There’s no fixed time for how long it takes to dry herbs. To know if the herbs are completely dry, use the ‘snap test.’ The stems will snap and the leaves will feel dry. If the stems are still able to bend, there’s still moisture in the herbs and they may develop mold.” Once completely dry, remove any stems and store the herbs in an airtight container, only crushing the leaves when ready to use. “Stored in a cool, dark place, dried herbs can last one to two years.”

For making herbal extracts:

■ You can use either fresh or dried herbs. The benefit of extracting from fresh herbs is that they retain all their vitality.

■ Vinegar is great for this use, especially because it is good at extracting minerals from the herbs.

■ If using fresh herbs, use a ratio of 2 parts fresh herb to 1 part vinegar. If using dried herbs, use a ratio of 1 part dried herb to 5 parts vinegar.

■ Break up or chop the herb, then put it in a glass container and add vinegar.

■ If you’re using a canning jar, put a layer of wax paper between the jar and the lid since vinegar can corrode the lid.

■ Let the vinegar sit anywhere from a few days to six weeks, shaking it every day. Taste periodically and strain off the vinegar when you’re happy with the taste. “For roughly chopped herbs, I use a fine mesh metal strainer. For straining dried powdered herbs, I like using cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel.”

■ Store your vinegar in the refrigerator and expect it to last six months.

For infusing oil with herbs:

■ “I encourage people to use dried herbs for this. You can work with fresh herbs, but then you have to be very careful because the moisture in herbs can contribute to contamination of the oil.”

■ Powder your dried herb and mix it with the oil in the ratio of 1 part herb to 4 parts oil, by weight.

■ The oil should then be heated to 100 degrees and remain there for anywhere from a few hours to several days.

■ When the oil has the flavor you want, strain it and then store in a cool, dark place for six months to a year.

■ If you wish, add spices like cayenne to your infused oil.