Growing oregano, lavender, rosemary, bay, and most herbs is pretty simple – they pretty much grow themselves. For a novice gardener like myself, it’s very encouraging, and it’s wonderfully easy to wander into the garden and grab a handful to throw into any meal.
But the season will be over soon. My blueberry bush is already turning red, and the tomatoes are nearing their end, and I want preserve some of these things before they’re gone.
Fortunately, I’ve discovered it’s really easy to do so. All you need is fresh herbs, some paper bags, and a clip.
Step 1 – Pick some herbs
I don’t have specific music for this, but I’m sure if you’re inventive you can come up with something. There are, ahem, more than a few songs about herb.
Once you’ve selected your music, cut the best herbs you can find. There may be some brown or spotty leaves you can trim from those you save.
Step 2 – Wash herbs
Wash the herbs to remove any dirt or bugs which may cling to them, and lay them out to dry for a few hours. You don’t want too much moisture in there, or you may get mould.
Step 3 – Bag ’em
I use the brown paper lunch bags available at most grocery stores, but pretty much any paper bag will do as long as it’s clean. This keeps them free from insects and dust, while still allowing some airflow.
Ensure your herbs are trimmed to fit easily into the bag, and that they’re not packed in too tightly – you want to give them room to breathe.
Hang the bag somewhere out of the way and wait. It may take a few weeks for the herbs to fully dry out.
Step 3 – Open ’em up
Hrm. This didn’t look quite as blurry on my phone.
You can keep them as sticks of oregano in a sealed canning jar to infuse olive oil or other preserves, or you can remove the leaves, readying them for crumbling into tomato sauce, or use them however you’d like.
You get the idea. Super easy.
