Return to Cauldron Home Page

Please donate now to pay our monthly server fees:
Donate to The Cauldron
[More Info]

Community Menu
Community Home

Message Board
Board Home
Board Rules
Board Extras:
   Arcade
   Calendar
   Links

CauldronMUX [Client]
Sister Forums:
   Asatru Lore

Menu

Home
Site Info & Rules
Site Archives
Volunteers Needed
Advertise Here

Pagan Supplies
Buy Pagan Books
Buy Pagan Supplies

Books & Media
Books Home
Games Home
Music: Free | Pagan
Online Books
Pagan Book Browser
Reviews:
   Academic Books
   Divination Decks
   Fiction Books
   Pagan Books
   Speculative Books
   DVD & Videotape
Submit Review

Pagan Features
Article Library
Auctions
Chat Log Index
File Library
Humor
Lessons
Pagan Holidays
Pagan Primer
Pagan Rituals
Pagan Supplies
Pagan Youth
Polls
Reconstructionism
Spell Grimoire [Blog]
Web Resources

Pagan Living
Cauldron Cookbook
Take Political Action

Newsletter
Back Issues
Subscribe

Other Features
eCauldronMail
Greeting Cards
Syndicated Articles
World News/Opinion

Shopping
Cheap Web Hosting
Doxy's Bazaar
Witchcraft Course
Zazzle

Old Indexes
Article Index
Webcrafting Index

Network Sites
Cauldron and Candle
Cauldron's Grimoire
RetroRoleplaying
RetroRoleplaying: The Blog
Software Gadgets
The Terran Empire

Site Search
Google
Entire Web
The Cauldron

Member - Pagan Forum Alliance
Charter Member

Get Firefox! While this web site is designed to work in all major browsers, we recommend Firefox.

This site hosted on
a Linode VPS
Formerly hosted by

Why Use Dreamhost?

Site copyright
© 1998-2009
by Randall

Home > Article Library > Gardening > How to Preserve Your Crop of Fresh Herbs Search

How to Preserve Your Crop of Fresh Herbs

 

Pagan-Friendly Hosting

5000MB and 400GB for $7.95 a month!
Dreamhost
- Read Why

5000MB and 400GB for $7.95 a month!
Lunar Pages

More Choices? See the
Cheap Web Hosting Report

by Carol Miller

After having taken the time to grow your own herb garden, you will want to make use of them. Following are four ways you can preserve your herbal plants.

Air Drying

Pick your plants early to mid-morning after the dew has evaporated and before the sun gets too hot and draws out the oils from them. Never mix different varieties of herbs. Keep them separated and tied in small bunches which can be hung up in a well-ventilated warm place with as little light as possible. Any corner of a room or cupboard or closet will do so long as it is warm and dry. Any moisture will make the leaves go mouldy. They may take from 4-5 days to a couple of weeks to dry.

When completely dry, store the leaves in layers in a box separating each layer with tissue paper. Keep the box in a warm and dry place where no mice or insects can get inside. Air drying is used for most herbs that are used in pot-pourris or herbal teas.

Herbs can be dried in a microwave but you will have to experiment. Try a few leaves at a low setting for a couple of minutes. Note how well the leaves are dried and add or subtract a few seconds to get the exact timing and results that you want.

Freezing

Freezing can give herbs a better flavor if you intend on using them for culinary purposes. Remove leaves from the main stalk, wash and dry if necessary. Pack into small polythene bags. Keep in mind that once defrosted, herbs will not keep. So only pack as many in each bag as you think you will need for whatever you are going to use them for.

Silica Gel Crystals

Use this method if you want to use the flowers of the plants for pot-pourris or decorative flower arrangements. Lightly wire the flower heads before they are dried so the stems can be extended after drying if necessary. Push a lightweight wire through center of each flower and trim so it is no longer than 2 inches at the most.

Silica gel can be purchased from floral outlets, garden centers or chemists. Make sure the crystals are as fine as possible and dry.

Fill a plastic airtight container to a depth of about 1 inch with the crystals. Place each flower on the crystals and cover gently with more crystals, filling in any gaps or crevices. When all is covered, replace lid and keep in a warm, dry place. After about 2 or 3 days, carefully unpack and store in an airtight container with a little silica gel in the bottom to prevent any reabsorption of moisture.

Before using, you may spray the dried flowers with polyurethane varnish to help prevent the moisture from returning. However, if the flowers are kept in a warm temperature, this should not be a problem.

Glycerine Treatment

Not all herbs will respond to this treatment, but it is worth seeing which ones will.

Mix two parts boiling water to one part glycerine (sometimes equal amounts of each work better, you will have to experiment). Fill a narrow container to a depth of 3-4 inches with the mixture. If stems appear woody, smash them and stand them in the glycerine mixture out of direct light. It takes a minimum of 4 days to 2 weeks for the plants to take up the glycerine, some may even take longer.

The plants will visibly change color as it absorbs the glycerine. Remove the plants from the mixture when beads of glycerine are visible at the ends of the leaves. Wipe away any excess glycerine with a soapy cloth before leaving them to dry. Then store in a box away from light and moisture.

About the Author

This article written by by Carol Miller. For free information on growing and cultivating various herbs and vegetables, please visit www.bricabrackorner.com/Vegetables and Herbs.htm.

Important Notice: The content and information in this article is the sole responsibility of the article's author who retains copyright. Publication of this article by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is not endorsement of the statements, opinions, or claims of fact made in the article.


Top | Home | Message Board | Site Info & Rules | Report Site Problems
Thanks to Cauldron Sponsors
(Sponsor The Cauldron!)

Cheap Web Hosting Report | Pagan & Magick Supplies
Witchcraft Course
Download Hundreds of Magic Spells