ᐅ Preserving Herbs

Created on: 7 Jul 2008 22:17
S
senor
Hello everyone!

I have a question! How can you preserve herbs, and what should you keep in mind when drying them? I hope you can share some tips with me. I usually use herbs fresh, but then I have to buy herbs in winter, even though I have enough to last all year.

Best regards,
sennor 🙂
M
Maier GmbH
10 Jul 2008 23:42
Hi sennor!

Regarding the herb butter:
You can finely chop herbs of your choice; chives, parsley, thyme, garlic, and marjoram work well. In fact, you can use almost any herb. Only tough plant parts are less suitable. You can either mix different herbs or make a pure garlic butter. Let the butter soften—use as much as you want to prepare. The herbs can be chopped by hand or blended. How finely you chop them depends on your personal preference. After that, mix the finely chopped herbs thoroughly with the softened butter. Then put everything in the refrigerator. You can use your own containers to give the butter a nice shape, or use cellophane wrap. That’s up to you.

RECIPE EXAMPLE:
5 garlic cloves
A splash of lemon juice
1 sprig of thyme
3 tablespoons of parsley
2 sprigs of marjoram
1 bunch of chives
1 block of butter
Salt and pepper

Wishing you good results!
Garden design 🙂
S
senor
11 Jul 2008 21:07
Hello!

Hey, that recipe sounds really great! I will definitely try it out. It’s not that much work, and you can do so many things with the butter: spread it on bread, use it with grilled meat, and so on.

Thanks again!
sennor 😉
M
Maier GmbH
12 Jul 2008 16:52
hi,
here is some information about infusing herbs in alcohol. There are several methods, such as herbal wine or herbal tincture:
- HERBAL WINE: Add a handful of fresh herbs to one bottle of dry, quality white wine. Place the herbs in a wide-neck bottle and pour the wine over them. Let it steep for about 2 weeks, shaking daily.
- HERBAL TINCTURE: A tincture is an alcohol extract made from one or more medicinal plants. Mix approximately 50g of dried medicinal herbs with 250g of 70% ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Use neutral spirit or grain alcohol for this. Pour the mixture into a clean jar, seal it well, and let it steep. Depending on the type of plant, it takes between 5 days and 6 weeks for the tincture to be ready.
Tinctures can be applied externally by rubbing on the skin or taken internally, but only in drops!

Regards,
Gartengestaltung
S
senor
18 Jul 2008 19:57
Hello!

Thanks for the detailed explanation! How is an herbal liqueur actually made? Recently, I visited friends where I tasted a wonderful herbal liqueur. Now I wonder if the production process is similar to winemaking but using herbs.

Best regards,
sennor 🙂
G
Gartenbauer
20 Jul 2008 04:15
Hi Señor!

Arnaldo of Villanova introduced the technique of alcohol distillation to Europe in the 13th century after a crusade. He soaked herbs in alcohol to extract their active compounds. The two basic methods for making liqueurs are distillation and maceration. To improve the taste of these herbal extracts, he sweetened them with honey. For a long time, liqueurs were produced only in monasteries and apothecaries. Herbal wine is the predecessor of liqueur. Today, you can buy various liqueurs, such as sambuca or egg liqueur, in supermarkets everywhere.

Herbal liqueur recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh ginger
1.5 tsp cloves
Cinnamon
2 tbsp lavender flowers
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp fresh sage
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup lemon balm
4 bay leaves
1 cup water
2.5 liters (2.6 quarts) vodka

Preparation:
Crush the herbs with the water in a blender. Then add the vodka. Pour everything into bottles and store them in a warm place for about 6 weeks. At the end, strain the mixture.

Best regards,
Gartenbauer 🙂
M
Maier GmbH
20 Jul 2008 04:28
Hi!

Herbal liqueurs must have an alcohol content of at least 15% by volume. Unlike bitter liqueurs, herbal liqueurs usually have sugar added. The recipes are often very secret and are not shared. Even today, there are monasteries that produce herbal liqueurs based on very old and secret recipes. Liqueurs stimulate digestion and also appetite. A well-known German brand is Jägermeister. It contains 56 different herbs and has an alcohol content of 35% by volume.

Here is another recipe I have:

Ingredients:
Chamomile, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, basil, 1 liter (34 fl oz) of 96% grain spirit, the peel of one lemon, 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of sugar, and 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of water.

Preparation:
Wash the herbs, put them in a jug, and pour the grain spirit over them. Let it steep covered in a warm place for 14 days. On the 12th day, add the lemon peel. Cook the sugar with the water to make a syrup, then mix it with the herbal extract. Let it steep for one more night, then filter, pour into bottles, and cork them. It is best to let the liqueur rest for 2 months before drinking.

Best regards,
Garden design 🙂