Bonjour,
Fresh herbs: I keep my parsley, sage, rosemary, mint, and thyme in a glass of water in the refrigerator with a plastic bag covering the top. I also sometimes wrap them in a damp paper towel and store them in a zip lock bag in the fridge. (those are the herbs I use all summer).
Dry herbs: I like cooking with fresh herbs as much as I can, but trying to keep them fresh for a while is almost impossible. I dry my rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, dill and any other sturdy herbs by hanging them up side down in a dry place. By using this technique, the moisture evaporates and the herbs retain their oils and flavors. (This is how I preserve my winter herbs). By drying your herbs this way, you know they will be fresh and full of fragrance, not like herbs you buy at the store. Who knows how long they have been in the container?! There is one other thing you must remember; use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs, because dried herbs are much stronger than fresh herbs.
I remember my Grand-Mere used to keep bunches of herbs inside her glassed-in veranda in Paris. She also used the same method described above to dry fresh flowers. In the wintertime, her veranda always looked like a flower shop and smelled like summer.
À bientôt!
© CaféDion 2010
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