Hey all. Sorry, it’s been a long minute since I posted a blog. Things have been…tough, to say the least. Two weeks after I returned from Oregon, we headed back to care for my mother-in-law during hospice. We are home now, and not quite the same, that is for sure. Losing a loved one is never easy. Doing hospice at home and being the sole caregivers (myself, my husband and sister-in-law) adds a whole new level to that loss. It’s something that just can’t be explained or understood until you go through it. So, I am not going to.
I wasn’t sure I really felt like blogging quite yet, but here goes nothing. No time like the present to jump back into the swing of things, right?
Let’s talk about herbs. Do you use herbs when you cook? Fresh or dried? I use dried. Fresh occasionally, but mostly dried. Did you know when you use fresh, you end up using three times as much as dried to get to the same flavor level. Dried seem to have more intense flavor. I am cheap, so that sounds right up my alley!
With that in mind, I dried my herbs this year. Back in May, I blogged about my repurposed Herb Garden. Time to talk about how I harvested and preserved said herbs. Usually, I just use as needed and well, whatever after that. This season I did some preplanning on what I wanted to do. It went well. Next year I’ve got even bigger plans.
I grew my herbs full enough to clip down, without letting them flower. Once that happens, you lose flavor. And isn’t flavor the whole point of herbs?!? Duh! Although one of my cilantro plants got away from me and flowered. So I lost that one. It happens.
I started clipping the stems and leaves. Each herb varies on where to cut to ensure it reproduces. YouTube is great for that info!
For each herb I had a paper bag ready and labeled with the plant name and date. I put my cuttings into the correct bag and set aside. A couple weeks is fine for most to dry out. Chives took longer. My first batch I did after a couple weeks. The second batch was well over a month before I got around to finishing the project; I was busy, I got to it much later. Gotta love the flexibility in that!
Once my herbs were dried, they needed to be ground. I have an extra coffee bean grinder I use just for herbs. It works wonderfully! I removed stems, ground the herbs, and put into containers. I have several Tupperware shaker containers in various sizes. Duh! You know I love me some Tupperware. And in case I run out of Tupperware, I keep small jars and emptied spice containers as backups. For this batch, I used both to show you some options. I personally love using a label maker, for anything. I guess I could have simply used a sharpie too.
I love how these turned out. I am excited to be able to use my own, home grown and dried, herbs! I would like to start working on seasoning blends. Because summer is almost over, might have to get a lamp going in the basement. I would love to grow everything needed to make my own taco seasoning. Once my head gets screwed back on straight, I will work on that. For now, it’s a bit clouded with grief. And that’s ok. Like I keep reminding my husband, grief reflects love.
Life is short. Hug your loved ones. And go grow some herbs!
