fresh herbs
Throughout my childhood, my grandmother did not let a day pass her by without extolling the marvelous health benefits of fresh herbs: their vitamin content, their antioxidant properties, their immune system boosting attributes. Her lessons stuck with me, and now, many years later, I wouldn’t imagine my garden without a patch of fresh herbs.
I dry them in small bunches all through the summer, to build up an adequate supply of spices for the cold season, but they are best consumed fresh, just picked from the garden at their peak of flavor.
This is, of course, a luxury only available during the summer, so here are a few tips about herb drying, for all year round benefits (dried herbs still maintain a lot of the properties of their fresh counterparts, even though the latter are better).
Never pick herbs during the rain, but do pick them early in the day, after the morning sun dried up the dew. Always pick the young leaves, they are tender and more flavorful, and the large foliage around the base of the plant contains its emergency reserves of food and energy and it will not appreciate you taking them away from it.
If you grow herbs for their flowers, pick the blossoms just after they open.
Dry herbs in bunches, hung in a place where the air is warm and still. When they are completely dry, store the leaves whole if you have room, in paper bags labeled with the contents and the date. Herbs lose their potency when stored for too long.
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