Fresh Herb Tips?

[Judi Dial]

I have a few and I need some!

We had fresh chives & oregano in our roasted vegetable and wheat salad last night. And, as spring has just started, I pulled the plants that were invading the lawn, no problem.

But what will happen before the summer is out is that I will have frozen/dried all that I need for the remaining YEAR of chives, oregano and spearmint and the plants will still run amok.

So any ideas about what to do with these?

Dried chives are all but tasteless, so I don't bother. The frozen ones just languish around here. I make chive butter and freeze that which works pretty well.

I make a great salad with watermelon and the mint and use the mint for tea and potpourri too.

The oregano gets added to summer salads and dried.

All of these invade my lawn. All of these end up by the end of hte season being treated like weeds, which bothers me. Ideas?

TIA --

Judi

[Brat]

I love running the mower in the mint...Have so much of it...My chives are on the south side of the well and it stays warmer there in the winter so can use them fresh most of the winter. Oregano Has taken over so just had to keep cutting it back. Thyme is something that I can use all winter too..It is still green even under the snow and really good..Garlic is something that you might want to try too...you plant in the fall and dig in the summer..I freeze it and it works really good and makes the best roasted garlic butter.

[Judi Dial]

I wish I didn't use the thyme so fast that I killed it! I love thyme. It's great with almost everything, but especially mushrooms. I didn't know it would overwinter successfully. I DO raise garlic, shallots, leeks, and walking onions. My extra garlic (is there such a thing?) is always welcomed by my neighbors, so that isn't a problem. I've given them all starts of the chives, mint, and oregano, so now they don't need any. When the parsley gets bigger (it overwinters too) I'll make herb bread....

Judi

[Contrary Housewife]

I use my herbs fresh during the summer and only start to dry for winter near the end of the season. I pick a handful of stems from near the root, clean the plant if necessary (I don't use chemicals, so it's just dirt) and store in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a large zip bag. That way I don't have to go out in the heat every time to get a snip of something.

[Grainlady]

I do as much culinary harvesting in the spring as possible, when the flavors are the best; and this also helps prevent "herbs-gone-wild" syndrome. Most herbs are "best" harvested before they bloom.

Fall harvest is used for gift-giving:

-herb vinegars
-herb butter
-potpourris
-sachets
-herbal pillows
-wreaths
-lotions
-herb water for skin
-herbal after-shave
-lavender vinegar (scented laundry rinse-aid)
-lavender linen water
-sachets filled with dried lavender - you can toss these in the dryer to give your sheets a light lavender scent
-lavender sugar

It's OK to just enjoy the herb garden without feeling guilty that you haven't used everything possible from it. It's also okay to divide plants each year so they don't get too crowded. If you can't find another home for it, throw the extras into the composter. I plant mint in a large pot to keep it from taking over the garden.

FRESH MINT WATER: Twist or bruise 1 c. of peppermint, spearmint, or other mint. Place in a clean half-gallon container. Fill with fresh, cool water. Chill in refrigerator. Strain. Serve on ice.

Lemon Balm gets harvested at least 3 times each growing season; cutting it down to 2-inches above the ground. For lemon balm tea, I dry both the leaves and the stems. I usually mix it with black tea.

Oregano- I start harvesting oregano when it's 6-inches tall. By the time June rolls around, oregano is hard to keep up with so I cut the whole plant leaving only the lowest set of leaves. I cut them back drastically again in August.

Before the first frost, I transplant some parsley, chives and thyme into a small planter and grow it indoors all winter. These 3 are a wonderful addition of good-for-you fresh food in the winter.

[missyali]

My friends loved my herb dip packets that I made up from my dried herbs. I started drying them mid summer and making the dried mixes. I found cute bowl sets with Christmas-y themes on them and dip spreaders were three to a pack. So, for less then 5 dollars, my friends from work got a cute little gift. I told them to take it to one of the many holiday functions & not feel guilty about leaving the bowl & spreader for the hostess. (Less guilt = good!) They were happy b/c it gave them something to take/have on hand for all the Christmas visiting. I wrapped the bowl in a festive towel, btw. Ta-da! Wow, that was lengthy!

[mombottoo]

If you are concerned that your herbs will end up being weeds by the end of the season perhaps you can share with your neighbors/family? Lots of people love fresh herbs, but aren't into growing them, themselves.

My daughter grows her herbs in a boxed garden, prevents them from spilling over into areas she doesn't want them to be.