Here in sunny California, the weekend has been overcast and cool, Mother Nature's confirmation that Autumn is indeed here. Not that there aren't plenty of warm and sunny days left; in fact, October can be down right hot. But I also see a change in the garden. Most of the herbs have flowered and been cut back at least twice during the summer, but they are growing more slowly now and I already miss the blowsy, unkempt drifts of oregano, tarragon and lemon verbena.
Before the herbs hunker down for the winter, I'm going to try preserving some of their fragrance and flavor to use in cooking during the cold weather. I don't have a dehydrator, but there are plenty of options I could try: air-drying, microwaving or freezing. I've always liked the look of greens hanging on pot racks in the kitchen or rafters in a barn, so I opted for air-drying.
To start the experiment, I clipped off several 6-8 inch sprigs of the most tender lemon verbena branches, rinsed them thoroughly in cool water and let them dry on a cotton towel. I then bundled them up into a bunch about an inch thick and tied them together with cotton string. I left a length of string long enough to tie the bundle for hanging upside down.
The key to success, I'm told, is to let herbs dry away from direct sunlight where there is good air circulation but no dust, so I tied my bundle to the iron frame of my kitchen lights and waited.
After a couple of weeks, the lemon verbena leaves were crispy-dry and ready to be crumbled and stored in a glass jar. The reward? Lovely cups of hot lemon verbena tea.
Before the herbs hunker down for the winter, I'm going to try preserving some of their fragrance and flavor to use in cooking during the cold weather. I don't have a dehydrator, but there are plenty of options I could try: air-drying, microwaving or freezing. I've always liked the look of greens hanging on pot racks in the kitchen or rafters in a barn, so I opted for air-drying.
To start the experiment, I clipped off several 6-8 inch sprigs of the most tender lemon verbena branches, rinsed them thoroughly in cool water and let them dry on a cotton towel. I then bundled them up into a bunch about an inch thick and tied them together with cotton string. I left a length of string long enough to tie the bundle for hanging upside down.
The key to success, I'm told, is to let herbs dry away from direct sunlight where there is good air circulation but no dust, so I tied my bundle to the iron frame of my kitchen lights and waited.
After a couple of weeks, the lemon verbena leaves were crispy-dry and ready to be crumbled and stored in a glass jar. The reward? Lovely cups of hot lemon verbena tea.
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