Growing Organic Vegetables - Beginner's Guide
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By Adam Granger
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If you have begun growing organic vegetables and herbs or are merely in the stages of thinking that you should one question crops up time and time again.
What do I do with all those herbs.
In this article I will cover some helpful tips for your organically grown herbs.
Many people prefer to use herbs in a dry form.. To get the best from your herbs you should always try to harvest them at the beginning of the day. You simply need to use a sharp knife or a pair of garden scissors to harvest your herbs and make sure that the stems are quite long.
1: Cleaning Your Herbs
Wash the herbs, but remember they are herbs and not some steel fork. So be gentle with them and once washed put them on a piece of kitchen towel or perhaps a clean cloth. The herbs need to dry out once washed so the towel needs to be absorbent so that all the water can drain from your herbs.
2: Drying Your Herbs
You can then tie your herbs into bundles with string once all the surplus water has been removed. Then hang the small bundles up in an area out of the way but if possible moisture free. I find that the airing cupboard is usually a excellent place as its always slightly warm and of course dry. In case you are hanging them near a window that has direct sunlight this will also be a great place. Just remember however, that the sunlight will take some of the natural colour from the herbs.
3: Making Your Herbs Ready For Use
Once your herbs have dried out completely you are able to crush them and put them in small glass or stone jars. I prefer not to use plastic as I always feel this effects the flavor of the herbs. Your herbs once dried will last for at the very least nine to twelve months.
4: Freezing Your Herbs
As an alternative you can also freeze your herbs. To do this simply harvest and wash as above but when drying it is advisable to make 100 percent certain there is no excess moisture. So keep turning them on the paper towel until completely dry. This is essential for the freezing process.
To get the very best flavor from the herbs when frozen keep the flowers and leaves on the stems. Once they are dry you are able to put them into freezer bags and place them into the freezer. One point to note here is to put a label or mark the freezer bag with the date. To get the best flavor out of your frozen herbs I recommend that you use them within 6 months.
To use the frozen herbs from the freezer just flake off the herbs between thumb and forefinger and then return all the unused herbs to the freezer.
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Author Bio Box: Adam Granger
Get more information about Growing Organic Vegetables and organic herbs you can get plenty more information and advice at
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