Your herbs are mature after you have nurtured them with water and care from seedlings or seed. Congratulations. The harvest time has arrived and it is time to enjoy the bounty of your home herb garden. A few more steps and you will be cooking with fresh herbs in no time.
First, you must harvest your herbs before you use them. The timing of your harvest is important. Too hot or windy and the essential oils will disperse. Too wet from rain means that less oil is produced in the plant. One of the best times to harvest is on a calm, dry morning during midsummer.
Begin your harvest once the dew has dried from the foliage and just before the flowers open. You shouldn't remove the entire plant, but only clip the new growth. This gives you the best of the herb and encourages the plant to grow again.
More than likely, you will harvest more herbs than you can use fresh. So have a game plan for preserving the abundance for future use. An additional point to remember about the harvest, you shouldn't take more than one-third of the plant or leaves at a time. This will leave plenty of foliage for the herb to continue to thrive. And don't forget to check your plants for insect or disease damage before you harvest.
Back to preserving; three basic preservation methods have developed, drying, freezing, and preserving in a medium like salt or vinegar.
The most common preservation method is drying. To correctly dry herbs simply bundle six to twelve stems together, removing any leaves near the base of the stems. Tie the bundle together at the base with a piece of butchers twine. Hang your bundle out of the sun in a cool place. Should you have individual leaves then place these on a rack or screen. Turn these often to ensure proper, even drying. Some gardeners use appliances like dehydrators, ovens or microwaves to dry their herbs. These work well but the heat produces a less than satisfactory product.
A simple, straightforward method of preserving herbs is to freeze them. Layout wax paper on a baking sheet and cut the herbs into small pieces on the wax paper. Place in the freezer overnight then transfer the frozen herbs to a plastic freezer bag and store in the freezer until you are ready to use. Please label the plastic bag with your herb name. Frozen herbs begin to look alike a month or two after you place these in the freezer.
A third way to preserve herbs is using a medium or preservation agent. Place herbs such as tarragon, basil, or mint (chopped) in a bottle or jar and cover with vinegar. This pickling will preserve the herbs for several months. Just as salt was once used to preserve meat, salt can be used to preserve herbs. Alternate layers of fresh herbs and salt until all of the herbs are covered. Once the herbs are completely dry separate the dried herbs from the now flavored salt and store in an airtight container.
One of the best ways to use your herbs is freshly harvested from the garden. Clean the fresh herbs before using in recipes. To clean fresh herbs simply place in a bowl; substitute the sink if you have a large quantity of herbs, of cool water. Stir in two tablespoons of salt into the water. This salty water will force any insects clinging to the plant to release without any damage to the herb. Drain the water and place the herbs gently between two dish towels or dry in a salad spinner.
Read all you can about the herbs you grown as each have a best way to harvest, chop, and use. With a little homework you will understand the subtleties of your herb and how to use it correctly.