Harvesting My Herbs

I have been harvesting my herbs for awhile now both for immediate use and for preserving for later. 

Many herbs I just pop into a freezer bag and put  in the freezer.  This winter I can just take out the amount I need for a recipe.  After freezing they easily crumble into whatever dish I am creating.  I use them fresh from the bag without thawing first.  I also prepare some by drying. In this case I rinse them off and set them on the trays of my dehydrator.  I don't turn the dehydrator on.  At room temperature in my dry climate they are usually dry in a day or so.  I then seal them in storage bags or glass jars and store in a cool dry place.  Again, I don't crumble them but leave them as whole as possible to preserve as much as the oils as possible. 

Of the many herbs I use fresh from the garden basil is one of my favorite.  I don't think you can ever have too much basil.  When using herbs don't be afraid to experiment.  As long as you know it is edible and does not cause any problems for you specifically (such as allergic reactions) feel free to try different combinations and see what you think.  I love fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, chives, and cheese in my scrambled eggs.  Another way I love basil is to layer fresh zucchini, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and green onions in a glass pie pan and bake in the oven until the zucchini is tender.  Sometimes I top it with cheese before baking.  Since it is almost time to eat I think I will go prepare some right now.