Lemon grass

[Small pumpkin]

Any ideas on how to store lemon grass?
Drying, freezing ? How ? Any other options?
Maybe try to keep the plant growing and use when needed ( can't really see it liking our winter, not even in the tunnel)

As you can see I'm completely clueless on the subject.......help please


Should lemon grass be in the spice thread?

[burnie]

Or is it a herb(never grown it so can't help sorry)

[Jungle Jane]

I don't know if it's the best way but I did this-I had one large pot of lemongrass last year,so I split it into two new pots to give them a bit more space (don't know if you have to though) & gave them a haircut to reduce the size a bit (make tea with the leaves its nice!) then put them on the east facing windowsill. I occasionally gave them a tiny liquid seaweed feed over winter maybe once a month,they've been growing where they are this year,I haven't moved them from the window,they've thickened up nicely.

[vixylix]

Can you dry it out? I'm sure I've seen dried stuff...

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

The best way if you are going to use it for cooking is to dig it up, split each individual stalk, top n tail it so it is about 3 to 4 inch tall, bag n freeze it.

You can use the leaves steeped in hot water to make a fresh citrus flavoured drinks once run through a sieve, which is also know as a good thing for detoxifying the system, you can dry the leaves for the above, but never done it myself, or you can actually pot on individual stems trimming the roots and again cutting down to 3 to 4 inch stalks, placed in a south facing window and keep just barely moist as a cultivation method for the following seasons stock.

Or you can bring the whole plant indoors, again cut it down, place somewhere dark n frost free keeping barely moist and bring back into the light in spring once all threat of frost as passed.

But must admit I prefer the planting individual stalks and letting em grow on, new season, new plants, as it is a grass after all!

[Small pumpkin]

I think I will try a couple of those methods. As ever I grew a lot
Thanks everyone

[veggiechicken]

I have a pot of the stuff that I grew from supermarket remainders, as you would expect
Its been in the same pot for about 2 years, looking very cramped and dried out Its overwintered in the GH and I've done absolutely nothing to it apart from trim off the dead leaves...............and I haven't used any either!
I think its tougher than we realise - but don't blame me if it dies!

[Ocelot]

I always bring it in the house during the winter, and it's fine on a south-facing windowsill.

[Babru]

I've been growing lemongrass this year first in the greenhouse and now it's outside. Very vigorous, and I've split it already into two pots, in less than 4 months. When I split it I took some stalks off, hoping to cook with them, but they were very thin and weedy nothing like the ones from the supermarket.

Anyone been able to grow decent thickness of stalk in the UK/Scotland? Does it improve in year two?

[Babru]

Anyone had any success growing decent thickness lemongrass in the uk, or should I just compost the plants?

[veggiechicken]

I have a pot of the stuff that I grew from supermarket remainders, as you would expect
Its been in the same pot for about 2 years, looking very cramped and dried out Its overwintered in the GH and I've done absolutely nothing to it apart from trim off the dead leaves...............and I haven't used any either!
I think its tougher than we realise - but don't blame me if it dies!

I still have this pot of lemon grass. Haven't used any but it smells nice when you fondle it!

[Jungle Jane]

When I grew it,after splitting into two pots,a couple did thicken up by the next year it is worthwhile overwintering them on a windowsill,trim them when you bring them in. Maybe if mine were spaced further apart/bigger pot,there would’ve been more thickness in more of them or maybe some seeds are more vigorous than others. The trimmings made a nice lemon tea.

[Small pumpkin]

I’ve recently discovered that the best way to grow lemon grass is from fresh organic supermarket ( don’t have an anti rooting thing on them) stalks. Stick it in a glass of water, let it root, plant it. Apparently any grown from seed will always be skinny. According to GQT. I’ve not tried it yet. But I will.

I still used the skinny stuff Babur

[veggiechicken]

I still have this pot of lemon grass. Haven't used any but it smells nice when you fondle it!

Still have this pot in the GH. Must be in it 4th year. Needs splitting...........maybe next year.