It's been about 6 weeks since I've had anything to harvest and it's only the luck of the recent warm weather we've had that I have something to talk about this week. ALL of the snow shown in the main picture on my previous post has disappeared. A completely green Christmas which is quite rare in Eastern Ontario (and I'm more than a little happy about it).
That being said, there wasn't much in the garden to harvest other than the hardiest of herbs (thyme, rosemary and sage) - but I'll take what I can get (I also had enough kale to nibble on while I snipped the herbs). And so I finally took the opportunity to preserve some herbs. Although I'm not sure why I bothered with the little bit of rosemary I had since I had previously dug up one of my plants and brought it in for the winter - seems to be keeping healthy enough (alongside geraniums).
I've dried herbs in the past but have generally found it to be messy. And then, with the most common herbs I would use in winter (thyme and rosemary), I seem to end up buying them fresh from the store anyway.
I have jars (and jars and jars!) of basil preserved in the form of pesto - sometimes just the basil and olive oil without any nuts (and I never use cheese when I store pesto - best when added during cooking). So it seems the combination of herbs and oil works for my needs.
I chopped some herbs and put a teaspoon or so of each into ice cube trays (OK, this isn't actually an ice cube tray but it's what I had on hand). For the thyme and rosemary, I followed with olive oil; for the sage, I used melted butter because that's how I usually use sage ... like in this Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce.
And into the freezer it went. I had a bit of hard time getting it out of this container - but just like ice cubes, you can either let it melt a teeny bit to loosen them or run a bit of warm water on the other side (have a bowl underneath to catch them as they'll slide right out!).
And voila ... some little gems to toss into a soup, stew, or hmm ... maybe some mashed potatoes?!
Check out Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday to see what other gardeners are keeping themselves busy with at this time of the year.
Freezing herbs in oil & butter is something I had never considered - what a great idea! I especially love the sage-butter combo. I think I'll get out there this afternoon, while the weather still cooperates, and clip some herbs to try this out.
ReplyDeleteAre you able to overwinter rosemary outdoors? It would be amazing if there was a variety that was hardy in our area as I find getting it through the winter indoors a bit hit or miss.
I have never been able to overwinter rosemary outdoors - and you are right, I am not overly successful indoors all the time. So far, so good with it, so I'll keep babying it and see how it works out.
DeleteButter and sage, a match made in heaven!
ReplyDeleteI often freeze basil in olive oil too. I've never thought about freezing sage and butter. It would make a great combination.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it will come in very handy this winter!
DeleteGreat idea. I have seen suggestions of freezing herbs in water in ice cube trays, but never oil or butter. We have had some cold nights but I think the sage is still hanging on. Maybe I will give it a try.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got some harvests :) we have bigger freezer now so maybe I'll try saving some herbs this way. I like the idea of freezing straight into oil or butter.
ReplyDelete