You may have been out in the garden this weekend potting a mixture of garden herbs ready for them grow over the coming weeks and eventually become essential ingredients in your kitchen.
Herb oil
Oil that’s infused with the clean, punchy flavours of rosemary, thyme or tarragon couldn’t be easier to make at home: simply add the herbs of your choice to a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and allow to steep for 4-6 weeks. The essential oils within the herbs impart flavour to the oil so that you end up with delicious aromatic herb oil which keeps for a long time.
Herb salt
Salt is a natural preservative, and herb salt can easily be prepared at home. The salt preserves the flavours, and freshly prepared herb salt will keep for several months. You can combine whatever herbs you like, just chop them finely, mix them one-third to two with salt and, after leaving to dry a little, store in a stoppered container.
Fresh pesto
What could be a more delicious summer meal than spaghetti with fresh pesto Genovese? The fresh herb pesto is oh-so-simply made from crushed and seasoned basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil (and, if you like a little heat, you can even add some fresh chillies!). It’s a perfect summer dish that’s quick to prepare and tastes heavenly!
Dried herbs
Drying freshly harvested summer herbs is an easy way to preserve them for use in the autumn and winter months that lie ahead. For a dried bundle: gather and bunch your herbs, tie the stems together, and hang upside down in a well-ventilated room to dry. Make sure the they are thoroughly dried, right through to the middle, before storing so that you won’t get any mould growth.
So you see, summer’s not over ‘til it’s over and you don’t have to immediately turn to buying in herbs from the supermarket. And, by creatively preserving your homegrown herbs, not only can you add a new taste dimension to your winter cuisine, but you can also save money!
Mint Ice Cubes
Simply place a handful of freshly picked mint leaves in your ice cube tray and fill with water. When frozen enjoy them in a summer cocktail or a refreshing gin and tonic!
Keep your newly picked herbs fresh for longer
If you don’t want to use your newly harvested herbs straight away, yet want to keep them fresh, they must be stored in a refrigerator. In a traditional refrigerator compartment, herbs will keep fresh for six days but, in a Liebherr BioFresh compartment, they will maintain their freshness for up to thirteen days. They can easily be frozen for future use too. Discover our full guide for fresh herbs storage.
Liebherr’s freezing tray allows you to freeze herbs perfectly; they will not stick together during freezing so they can be easily portioned and stored once frozen. In addition, the shape and appearance of delicate herbs, such as basil or nasturtium, is protected. Our tip: It’s a great idea to freeze mint leaves (chopped or whole) in a little water as ice cubes. In this way, you have a great instant ingredient for soups and sauces, or you can impress your guests by slipping a few cubes into their cocktail or Pimms.
