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Drying Or Freezing Herbs – We Clarify!

Fortunately, in spring and summer you can always help yourself directly from your private herb garden. But what should happen to the remaining ones when it gets colder outside? Our recommendations: simply dry the herbs or freeze them. We will describe both variants to you step by step, so that you can enjoy your delicious herbs in the autumn and winter months too!

Drying herbs – this is how it works step by step

You can simply hang up the herbs from your garden to dry and then store them in decorative jars. In this way, the fresh aroma is preserved and the herbs survive the winter without any problems.

Important: Only use undamaged herbs for drying. Damaged ones are not suitable. Discard any herbs that have bruised or otherwise fallen stems and leaves.

  1. Wash the herbs under warm running water.
  2. Dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper.
  3. Take three to five stalks and tie them into a bundle.
  4. Hang your herb bundles in a warm and well-ventilated place.
  5. Pack the dried herbs in airtight jars.

Caution: Never expose your herbs to direct sunlight to dry them!

Practical tip: You can also dry your herbs in the oven. To do this, put the bundles in the oven at 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. Leave the door open a crack – all you have to do is clamp a wooden spoon in between. It takes several hours for the herbs to dry completely. Do not increase the temperature! Otherwise the leaves lose their aromatic substances.

Freeze herbs – this is how it works step by step

Instead of drying them, you can also freeze your herbs. For basil, dill, tarragon, parsley, and chives, the frosted version is even better.

  1. Wash the herbs under warm running water.
  2. Dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper.
  3. Cut/chop the herbs.
  4. Then fill them in small portions into ice cube trays.
  5. Add water to the herb portions.
  6. Put the whole thing in the freezer.

This is how herbal ice cubes are made, which you can take out at any time if you want to refine your food with them. Just add the cubes as you cook.

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Written by John Myers

Professional Chef with 25 years of industry experience at the highest levels. Restaurant owner. Beverage Director with experience creating world-class nationally recognized cocktail programs. Food writer with a distinctive Chef-driven voice and point of view.

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