Getting More Out of Your Herbs

I just read 2 great online articles about herbs - how to properly dry and store them for use this winter (including tips about which herbs are better to air dry, and which you should freeze) and how to clone herbs so that you can increase your garden. I want to try both of these ideas!

Our herbs have gotten huge - I was worried that they would be dead when we got home from vacation because of how hot it was last week here in Boston, but they seem to be doing fine. Can't wait to get the window-box mounted, it's still sitting on our side porch from when we moved into the house... I'll post some photos once it's up there.

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Reducing Waste

I'm going to be taking a short hiatus from the blog in a few days, as we're going on vacation to the Pacific Northwest. We've been planning this trip for almost a year, and I'm so excited to get away! I have a feeling that we'll be eating a lot of sustainable and locally grown food in Portland and Seattle, as they seem to be up-and-coming food cities with lots of great environmentally-focused chefs. I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share with you when we get back!

As I sit here dreaming about everything we're going to do, I can't help but wonder how to use up all of the veggies in my fridge before we head out of town. Since I'm guessing it's not going to be possible, I've been contemplating ways to save the produce for later use. I would love to can them, but I don't yet have the supplies to do so (I'm hoping to spend some time later this summer experimenting with it, but I don't think that now is the time).

I have been able to successfully freeze herbs in the past, so I think I may try that with the herbs we have left (dill, cilantro, and parsley). It's actually really simple - wash and cut the herbs, and then place them in ice cube trays. Fill the rest of the tray with water (or oil, or any other cooking liquid, i.e. wine!) and freeze. Then when you need some for a recipe, just defrost or add directly to your pan. It helps if you measure a specific amount into each ice cube tray, so that you know how much is in there when you need it later for a recipe. (as a side note, I also do this with leftover coffee, because then I can make iced coffee and not have to worry about it getting watered down when the ice melts!).

But I was wondering if it's possible to freeze other veggies, and I've discovered that it is! This website is a great resource for how to freeze specific types of produce.

I also think I'm going to make pickles out of the cucumbers we got from this week's harvest. My mother-in-law makes great refrigerator pickles, here's her recipe (I may even try to use fresh dill in them, although I've never done that before):

Pickled Cucumbers

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 1/2 tsp. dill weed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed

PREPARATION:

1. Combine ingredients in a jar.

2. Slice 2 cucumbers and add to mixture.

3. Marinate in refrigerator. Best if at least 6 hours - 12 hours.

Any ideas on other ways to preserve our veggies if we can't use them right away?

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