Storing herbs; perfect pickles
Many of us have dill, parsley, basil and other wonderfully flavored plants growing in our gardens. Adding these herbs to dishes is certain to enhance the aroma of the food and to please taste buds. To enjoy them over the winter months, they can easily be preserved by freezing or drying.
Selecting herbs to grow
Hort-Hings III, a book by the University of Saskatchewan extension division, lists the following 10 herbs recommended for beginner herb gardeners – basil, summer savory, sweet marjoram, dill, parsley, lovage, fennel, chives, sage and thyme. These herbs are easy to grow, yield well per area, offer great variety in culinary characteristics and store well.
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Picking herbs
It is suggested that herbs be picked before they flower. You can take off up to two-thirds of most herb plants and they will continue to grow.
As like other plants, dry or freeze the herbs as quickly as possible after picking for best color and flavor. One way to dry herbs is to spread the picked leaves out on a screen or nylon netting. The screen or netting will allow the air to circulate freely around each leaf.
It is best to peel the leaves from the stems as the stems will retain water longer. An additional step of putting the already dried leaves in a l40 F (60 C) oven for 15 minutes will aid drying.
Leave the oven door open a little to let the moisture escape. The quicker the drying process, the better.
In a book by Louise Riotte, Carrots Love Tomatoes, is the following method of drying in bags. Cut, wash and tie the herbs in loose bunches. Allow to drip dry.
Place the bunch in a large brown paper bag. Close the mouth of the bag about the stems, letting the herbs hang free inside the bag.
Hang the bag where there will be good air circulation, such as on a clothesline. Dried this way none of the oils are absorbed by contact with the paper as may be the case if stored or dried in cardboard boxes.
With seed herbs, let the plants mature until the ripe seeds part from the dry umbels with a little pressure. This occurs after they lose their greenish color but before they will drop of their own accord.
Cut the heads on a dry morning, spread them out on brown paper in the sun for the rest of the day, stirring occasionally. Do this for several days, taking them in at night, until thoroughly dry.
Leaves can be dried in a microwave. Wash herbs, shake off excess moisture and remove leaves from the stem. Arrange leaves evenly between a double thickness of paper towels.
Do not dry more than one cup (250 mL) of leaves at a time. Microwave on high power.
Betty Ann found that caution is needed when drying any herbs in the microwave. If they become too dry they will burn. She found using short time intervals of 20 seconds worked best, flipping and recovering with dry layers of paper towel. Repeat process until the herb is dry and brittle.
Dried seeds or leaves may be stored in dark or opaque colored glass jars, or if in clear jars or plastic bags, store away from the light.
Bunches of herbs hanging in the kitchen look nice and smell good, but they’ll get dusty and lose flavor.
Freezing herbs
Canadian Living’s Harvest-Time Cookbook Special suggests that freezing is the best way to retain the fresh flavor and color of herbs. To do this, wash the herbs and remove the leaves from the stems.
Place the leaves on a cookie sheet or tray, in a single layer, and freeze. No blanching is required. Package in labeled airtight plastic bags and return to the freezer.
To use frozen herbs, take what you need out of the bag and close the bag tightly. Crush the herb while still frozen, measure and add to the dish you are cooking.
Anne Lindsay, in her book Lighthearted Everyday Cooking, said she never uses dried herbs in the ground or powdered form. The reason is because the dried leaf form has much better flavor and appearance than the ground. She also says that for the most flavor, crush the leaves by rubbing them between your palms just before adding to the recipe.
A general rule of thumb is to use four times the amount of fresh herbs that you would of dried.
Removing oil from walk
Dear TEAM: My problem is oil that was accidentally splashed on our sidewalk. Is there some way in which it can be removed? – P. S., Bassano, Alta.
Dear P.S.: I’m assuming your sidewalk is cement. I found there are commercial products available at hardware and other supply outlets. Service stations use these products and may be able to suggest the product they like to use.
Acklands-Grainger Inc. sells two products that work together, a Cleaner-Degreaser and Floor Dry. The citrus-based Cleaner-Degreaser helps to break up the oil particles.
Wipe up what you can after applying the Cleaner-Degreaser and then apply the Floor Dry to absorb more of the oil. Broom over the spot occasionally, stirring the Floor Dry to help it absorb the oil. These products are used in some service stations.
Canadian Tire sells a product called Concrete Cleaner.
Pickling perfection
- You need perfect produce for perfect pickles. The fresher the better. Hollowed or shriveled pickles can result if it has been too long between harvest and preparation.
- Remove the blossom of cucumbers by cutting a thin slice off the blossom end. Enzymes in the blossom will soften pickles.
- Use fresh whole spices. Spices that have been in the cupboard for a year or more have lost their potency, and may give a musty flavor. For easy removal of the spices from the brine, tie them loosely in a piece of cheesecloth or place them in a large tea ball.
- Use only soft water in pickles. Hard water reduces the acidity of pickling solutions and can affect the safety. The minerals in hard water can also darken and soften pickles.
To soften hard water, boil it for 15 minutes, then let stand covered for 24 hours. Skim off surface scum, if necessary. Carefully pour water from the container without disturbing the sediment on the bottom.
Distilled water, although expensive, can also be used.
- Use stainless steel, glass or enamel bowls or saucepans for soaking pickles or heating pickling liquids. Containers or utensils made from copper, iron, zinc or brass may react with acid and salt, causing undesirable flavor and color changes.
- Use a vinegar of at least five percent acidity. Pickling vinegar has a seven percent acidity and has a more astringent flavor, more preserving power and possibly gives a crisper texture. Do not use homemade vinegars as the acidity is unknown.
Cider and malt vinegars add flavor differences and darken light colored fruits and vegetables.
White vinegar is usually preferred for pickles.
- Do not alter the amount of vinegar, vegetables or fruit in a recipe. Such changes can upset the pH balance and spoil food. For a less sour pickle, add sugar.
- Use only pickling salt. The iodine in table salt can cause pickles to darken and its anti-caking agents may cause a cloudy appearance.
Credit: Bernardin, Guide to Home Preserving
