GYO Needs Your Help

[Emma Ward]

Morning all,

By now, many of you will be in the full swings of growth and, like me - you may have an enthusiastic basil plant. I just cannot use the stuff quickly enough! So, this month - I'd like to find out your tips on how to make herb butters and oils as well as freezing and drying techniques.

Obviously this doesn't have to stick to basil suggestions - I'd love to hear all your ideas, the more inventive the better!

Your answers may be edited to appear in the July issue of Grow Your Own.

Thanks
Emma

[Rhona]

Basil loses it's vibrancy quite easily I think - dried basil is a world away from fresh. To preserve it, I make a very 'wet' pesto, with more olive oil than usual, parmesan cheese, pinenuts and garlic. Season and blitz quickly in a food processor. I then keep in a jar, with a further inch of olive oil on top, and store in the fridge. I then add it to risotto, stirred through pasta, or even as a dressing for a warm salad.

I also use the same technique to preserve it as a Thai/Massaman curry paste. Blitz handfuls of basil with a small onion, lime juice and rind, tamarind, chilies, garlic, ginger, palm sugar, star anise, cumin and coriander (seeds and leaves), fish sauce and corn/sunflower oil. Again, I make it 'looser' and top up with more oil to help it keep.

[Nelly]

If you really have bags of basil, why not try basil wine? I'm hoping to make purple basil wine this year. Wine making is wonderful for using up surplus produce! I positively look forward to a glut!

[Emma Ward]

Thanks for your responses! Basil wine sounds interesting...do you have a recipe?

I'm also interesting in hearing your tips for other herbs besides basil. The more inventive the better!

Do you have a standard recipe you always uses? Have you heard a suggestion but not yet tried it? What's been your biggest success story?

Looking forward to hearing your tips!

[ohbeary]

I have African Blue Basil, very pungent and mentholy!(family Labitiae-mints...) it is prolific!, cuttings strike like crazy and the mad thing flowers at the drop of a hat, even in winter!, so no real need to preserve but if I had to, I would press into ice trays and top with chicken/veg stock and freeze.

[ginger ninger]

I like to dry my sage with bread crumbs in a slow oven...great when you've got a glut and so convenient when your making stuffing later in the year...much nicer than the bought stuff.
It keeps really well in an air-tight container.

[Helgalush]

I had mint in my wedding bouquet and my husband had rosemary in his buttonhole - and many herbs have very pretty flowers as well as giving a wonderful scent. So why not bring a few branches in from the garden to have in vases with your flowers - mint and freesias or hyacinths, rosemary with roses...

[annacruachan]

I can't think of any herb which cannot be frozen. Pick, chop and mix with about half its mass of water. Put into an ice cube tray and freeze; when frozen put the cubes into labelled bags and use throughout the winter.

[rustylady]

Herb butters are really easy to make. Chop your chosen herb finely (mint, parsley, sage, chives, fennel or whatever takes your fancy). Soften a block of butter and incorporate your herbs. Put in the fridge to chill a bit and then make a roll out of it using greaseproof paper round the outside of it. This can then be put in the freezer. As the butter doesn't freeze really hard you can cut slices off it as and when needed.

[rogesse]

Just found this thread

My herb bed is being over run with french tarragon (tender plant, my.....).

Tarragon and chicken were made for each other so I mix generous amounts of the herb and butter then freeze into patties using a small tart tray. When it's time for a roast chicken, I loosen the skin of the chicken and shove a patty (or 2) up each breast! Chicken basted and herbed with minimal effort and a very tasty outcome.

All my basil ends up as pesto.

[valmarg]

Herb vinegars.

Using sprigs of fresh herbs such as rosemary, tarragon, mint, thyme, marjoram, basil, dill, sage, parsley.

Fill bottles with sprigs of fresh herbs. Use either a mixture of herbs or one variety. Fill with red or white wine vinegar.

Seal with vinegar-proof tops, and leave in a cool, dry place for about six weeks. Use when making salad dressings.

So far I've only made tarragon, simply because it seems to have disappeared from supermarket shelves.

valmarg

[its hilly]

I tend to use mine fresh as herb teas or in various recipes for ointments etc. James Wongs are so easy to do even with no experience. but I also dry sage marjoram and anything else aromatic inc petals from roses etc to use in sachets to freshen stored winter woolies.
And dip various petals flowers or herb leaves in a light/sweet batter then deep fry in very hot oil, scrummy with all sorts of snacky meals.

[Caro]

You can make pesto type mixes with any herbs. If you're not sure what you're going to use it for yet, stick to the basic mix of approximately 2 cups of fresh herbs to 1/3rd cup of olive oil and blend into a paste. The mix can then be put into ice cube trays, topped with more olive oil and frozen. Instant herby oil cubes when you need them!