# Favorite way to preserve herbs



## danarutan (Mar 13, 2011)

Looking for ways to preserve herbs other then just drying ----

I like to use my mint to make a mint syrup then freeze it in 2 cup bags, then when I make sun tea I put 1 bag per gallon.
3/4 c sugar
2 c water
3 c mint leaves
Combine all ingredients bring to a boil, turn off heat and let set for 30 minutes then strain out leaves.

I also like to turn my basil into pesto and freeze in ice cube trays, then when I make pasta I add a few pesto ice cubes.
2c basil
1/4 c walnuts ( pine nuts if you can afford them)
2 T parsley
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 c grated Parmesan 
Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth

Anybody else have any good recipes I have mint, thyme, lavender, oregano, sage, Italian and curly parsley, garlic and onion chives, calendula, rosemary, lemon and regular basil, patchouli, stevia, dill, chamomile, lemon balm, echinacea, and cat nip?


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

Wow&#8230;and I thought I was doing well to get a few things dehydrated. Good on you!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Thanks for the mint syrup recipe Danarutan, going to do it your way instead of plain next time.

I put mint up like freezer pesto, but differently depending on what I want to use it for. Plain olive oil & toasted almonds for winter orange salads, butter for peas, sesame oil and macadamia nuts for hothouse cucumber salads, or shrimps. Parsley the same with butter or olive oil. Lemon juice keeps it bright.

Don't put the cheese and garlic in my frozen pesto, add it fresh when the dish is made.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Did you see this thread? Found it searching on lemon verbena - http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/country-homemaking/cooking/386780-herbal-basics-cooking-herbs.html :thumb:


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Besides drying, I've been making jellies. Lemon Verbena today, and will be making sage, lemon balm, lavender also. I've also added lemon verbena and lavender (separately) to qts of honey. Those are really good and I've found that straining the plant matter out of the honey is not as bad as I first thought. After all the honey is strained, I boil the plants and stuck on honey for a very short time and add that water to my jelly recipes.

Thanks for mint idea. I've got lots of different mints to try.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

SueMc, you are THE ONE! Enlightenment! Lemon Verbena fresh in honey bridges the gap for me. Been working with honey as a preservative for citrus, never thought of doing the herbs and I certainly haven't found it in all the old housekeeping and cookbooks either. This will be a wonder for my little cakes! When the Lemon Verbena is fresh from the bush it's too hot to like to bake, and when it's cooler the leaves have dropped.

Thank you thank you thank you :bow::bow::bow:


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

I wish I could take credit cowgirl! I'm not too creative on my own but can sure borrow other's ideas!

https://www.google.com/search?q=herb+infused+honey&rlz=1C1VSNC_enUS574US574&oq=herb+infused+honey&aqs=chrome..69i57.7473j0j8&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

Speaking of little cakes, wouldn't lemon verbena honey or jelly be great on poppyseed cake?!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

That would be yummy! Thanks for the google search, I am so behind the mark! Varietal honey has always been an indulgence, here is so much more! Just finished reading Letters from the Hive - An Intimate History of Bees, Honey and Mankind by Stephen Buchmann. Good book, but again - no mention of using honey this way. These worlds need to meet!

Found nice recipes for herbed preserves in another couple books -
A Passion for Preserves by Frederica Langeland
Preserving by the Pint by Marisa McClellan.


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

Wow, thanks for all the links and info. I had never even heard of infused honey or lemon verbena jelly. A whole new worldâ¦can't wait to start trying these ideas!!


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## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

You Gals are amazing! I felt good just putting mint leaves in ice cube trays and freezing for my drinks when the Mint is gone. I have a lot to learn. Never too old I say. Jklady


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Honey and lemon verbena - Lesson 1: Boiled mixture crisps the leaves and essence escapes. Room smells wonderful. Lesson 2: Very light tasting honey required, clover is overpowering, as is spring wildflower, both golden. Orange honey is the next go to.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Honey and lemon verbena - Lesson 1: Boiled mixture crisps the leaves and essence escapes. Room smells wonderful. Lesson 2: Very light tasting honey required, clover is overpowering, as is spring wildflower, both golden. Orange honey is the next go to.


Orange would be great for this.

I only heated/simmered the leaves that were used to infuse my honey after letting most of the honey strain out. The only reason I did this was because I hated to discard the leaves with the little bit of honey left on them. The leaves seemed a bit crisp after being in the honey for a month.
Most of the jelly recipes that I found said to boil the leaves for a few seconds then let steep for anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight. 
I used some tupelo honey that I bought a few years ago while on vacation in FL. It seems to have a heavy flavor but the lemon comes through. Citrus honey would add to the lemon herb flavor.

It's fun to play around with stuff like this!


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

Bases really well covered but I did want to add that I freeze cilantro in vinegar to use in salsa or salad dressings in the winter. It smelled like hay after I had dehydrated it. Would probably be good as a pesto too but I've never tried that.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Honey and lemon verbena - Lesson 1: Boiled mixture crisps the leaves and essence escapes. Room smells wonderful. Lesson 2: Very light tasting honey required, clover is overpowering, as is spring wildflower, both golden. Orange honey is the next go to.


 So, I tried various amounts of fresh lemon verbena leaves in honey - :yuck: feh! Tastes like bugaboo, just sappy.

Still getting the most from dried leaves.


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