erbsmatrica

STORING HERBS

Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in a barely damp paper towel and sealed airtight in a plastic bag for up to 7 days. For longer storage, up to 14 days (depending on the herb), place the bouquet of herbs, stem end down, in a tall screw- top jar or glass, fill jar with cold water until the ends are covered for about 1 inch. Cover the jar and seal tightly or top of the bouquet with a plastic bag, and secure it to the glass with a rubber band. The water should be changed every 2 days. Just before using, wash the herbs and blot dry with a paper towel.

Dried Herbs
Dried herbs are available year-round in cellophane packages, plastic, metal or cardboard boxes, bottles, and unglazed ceramic pots. The more airtight the storage container, the longer the herbs will last. Each time you use the herb, make sure the lid is tightly resealed.

Some dried herbs have a stronger, more concentrated flavor than fresh herbs, but quickly lose their pungency. Because of that it is good idea to leave the herbs on their stems, and if you don't have jars large enough, at least keep the leaves intact. When herbs are crushed, their essential oils are released, which you want to do only when ready to use them.

Some herbs, such as parsley, dill and chives, don't retain their flavor when they dry. these should be frozen. They'll be quite limp when thawed, so they can't be used as garnish but they can still add flavor to sauces, soups and stews.

Crushed or ground herbs become lackluster more quickly than whole herbs.

When it comes to storing herbs, the worst place to store herbs is in those little glass jars over the stove. The glass jars are fine, but dried herbs should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place for a maximum of 12 months. After 3 to 4 months, it is best to refrigerate them.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

The Herbfarm Cookbook : A Guide to the Vivid Flavors of Fresh Herbs
by Jerry Traunfeld, and Elayne Sears & Louise M. Smith (Illustrators)

Since 1990, Jerry Traunfeld has been the chef at the Herbfarm, a restaurant-nursery nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State devoted to propagating an exceptional variety of culinary herbs, edible flowers, and greens. People wait months for a table at this restaurant, where Traunfeld's unaffected yet sophisticated cooking unfolds in a nine-course dinner. Reading his recipes, you understand why. It is hard to get through even the first chapter, on soups, without starting a shopping list for making Green Gazpacho, a cooling blend of cucumbers and green pepper with spearmint, parsley, and cilantro, or Herbal Chicken Noodle Soup, lavish with fresh basil, chives, tarragon, and marjoram.

The Cook and the Gardener : A Year of Recipes and Writings for the French Countryside by Amanda Hesser, Kate Gridley (Illustrator)

The Cook and the Gardener is Amanda Hesser's first book. From the opening lines of its
introduction, her literary gifts are as evident as her passion for good food. Since this work combines recipes with her essays about Monsieur Milbert (the gardener at the Chateau du Fey in Burgundy, where Hesser worked as the cook), readers get to enjoy both of her talents.

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