What Do You Do With Your Surplus Herbs?

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I have a terrible green thumb and can't grow anything here in Cowboyville Arizona to save my sole, well, very little I should say.
I recently purchased clam-shell plastic containers of a few fresh herbs to use in different recipes.
I couldn't seem to use up everything, so I went searching for ways to preserve them.
I found that "woody or hearty herbs" can to dried in the microwave oven!!!

I dried fresh Thyme and Sage in the micro for two minutes and bob's your uncle.
I have several spice jars to fill as I find fit and this fit the bill perfectly.

What do you do with your surplus herbs?

 

[karadekoolaid]

I just pruned the oregano plant and had enough oregano to feed the entire neighbourhood! I dried it and started giving it away to anyone who appeared. We mostly get basil, oregano, rosemary and cilantro; but cilantro doesn't dry well and I'm not really too happy with dried basil, but there you go.

 

[TastyReuben]

I dried a bunch two…maybe three years ago and still have some left from that. I’ve frozen them in the past, but didn’t really get through them quickly that way, either.

When it’s winter, I just buy what I need these days (which can be expensive, considering what you’re buying - $2.50 for about eight safe leaves!), because I just don’t go through enough fresh fast enough to try and save them.

 

[badjak]

I save some by freezing or drying, but mostly I don't bother.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I had a googly amount of fresh Rosemary and froze the leftovers.
Thing was, it was awful once defrosted and in a recipe, it was kinda slimy

 

[rascal]

We dry ours or find ways of using them. Atm we have basil for Africa here. I was going to make pesto but we are out of pinenuts
Later in the week maybe

Russ

 

[karadekoolaid]

I was going to make pesto but we are out of pinenuts

You don't need pinenuts; use slivered almonds. It's called "Pesto con le mandorle", authentic Italian, and that's what I've been making for the past 10 years. I swear you wouldn't notice the difference.
If you want a recipe, I'll post it - just let me know.

 

[rascal]

You don't need pinenuts; use slivered almonds. It's called "Pesto con le mandorle", authentic Italian, and that's what I've been making for the past 10 years. I swear you wouldn't notice the difference.
If you want a recipe, I'll post it - just let me know.

We have walnuts here but hot to be pinenuts


Russ

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I have a terrible green thumb and can't grow anything here in Cowboyville Arizona to save my sole, well, very little I should say.
I recently purchased clam-shell plastic containers of a few fresh herbs to use in different recipes.
I couldn't seem to use up everything, so I went searching for ways to preserve them.
I found that "woody or hearty herbs" can to dried in the microwave oven!!!
View attachment 110153

I dried fresh Thyme and Sage in the micro for two minutes and bob's your uncle.
I have several spice jars to fill as I find fit and this fit the bill perfectly.

What do you do with your surplus herbs?

I chop them and freeze them in ice cube trays, then decant to storage bags. Some herbs though I'll just put straight into the bag and freeze as they are. They crumble superbly which means I don't have to chop them.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We have walnuts here but hot to be pinenuts


Russ

You can pretty much use any nut you want to. We've variously used walnut, macadamia nuts, pine nuts and almonds.

 

[Herbaceous]

I always have surplus herbs; truthfully they usually end up in the compost bin.

I grow basil in the summer, that I use to make pesto and freeze it. I try to do 2-3 batches of pesto per summer.

 

[detroitdad]

I throw mine in the freezer with the leftover veggies that I eventually turn into broth

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I've been trying to get away from freezing so much, especially those small bags that wind up falling out of sight, out of mind, lost to that freezer beast