Harvest herbs early in the morning, just after the dew has dried from the leaves, in order to ensure maximum flavor. Wash them well in fresh, clear water to remove any grit or insects.How to Store Them
When you harvest herbs from your garden, you have several options.
- Wrap the fresh cuttings in cheese cloth and place the bundle directly into soups or stews.
- Dry them for use later in the year. To dry herbs, gather small bunches of herbs and bind them with rubber bands. Then hang the bundles from a coat hanger or bamboo stake in a dark, dry location (such as over the water heater) until they are crisp.
- Another way to preserve your herbs is to pour chicken broth in an ice cube tray, lay in a few leaves of your favorite herbs, and freeze. When it is time to cook, simply empty out a few cubes of the herbed broth and add them to whatever you are cooking.
- Place basil leaves on a cookie sheet which has been lined with waxed paper and place the tray in the freezer. Once the leaves have frozen, remove them from the sheet and place them in a small plastic bag. The freezing prevents the leaves from clumping together.
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