Italian herb paste

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 2 handfuls of oregano, fresh
• 2 handfuls of fresh basil
• 1 handful of thyme, fresh
• 1 handful of savory, fresh mountain savory
• ½ handful of rosemary, fresh
• ½ handful of sage, fresh
• 1 dashes lemon juice
• e.g. sea salt
• e.g. olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

long-lasting seasoning paste for Italian dishes

First of all: This paste is intended for preserving fresh garden herbs for the winter. The amount of salt and oil depends on the amount of herbs available and the size of your hands, so it cannot be specified exactly. First, sort the herbs, wash them if necessary, pat them dry, and let them dry completely on a dry cloth (this takes about 2-3 hours). It is important that the herbs are completely dry, even slightly wilted! Pluck the herb leaves or needles from the stems and weigh them. For 100 g of herbs, add 10 g of sea salt, at least 100 ml of olive oil, and just a squeeze of lemon juice. Blend this mixture into a paste in a blender. If the paste is too thick, add a little more oil. Now pour into small jars, avoiding any air bubbles, and stop about 1 cm below the rim and smooth down. You may need to clean the rim again to ensure a longer shelf life. Now fill the jar with olive oil up to the rim and carefully close the jar. It will keep for several months if stored in a cool place (e.g., in a cellar or similar). Smooth open jars and add a little more oil if necessary—just like pesto. The paste is a very practical way to season tomato sauces for pasta, casseroles, pizza, etc.—as well as meat stews, vegetable stir-fries, etc.