How to Preserve Seasonings: Herbs Today, Preserves Tomorrow

preserve

What do you do when you have bunches of herbs reaching maturity at the same time? Preserve them!  

Preserving herbs for seasonings involves traditional techniques that use salt, oil, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, and a few other simple ingredients. 

The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning. It has been adapted for the web.


Preserve Seasonings in Vinegar

Basil

  • Basil
  • Cider vinegar
  • Small jars and lids

To keep basil fresh for salads, all you have to do is chop some and place it in a small jar with some good cider vinegar. Store the jar in a cool place, and enjoy this valuable seasoning anytime!

Jacqueline Clossett, Belgium


Preserve Pickled Garlic

  • preserve1 lb. garlic
  • 1 quart water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Bay leaves
  • Black peppercorns
  • 1 cup vinegar<
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • A saucepan
  • Small jars and lids

Peel the garlic. Boil one quart of water with one tablespoon of salt. Add the garlic and continue to boil for three to five minutes. Drain the garlic.

Fill small jars with the garlic, one bay leaf, and five black peppercorns.

Boil the vinegar along with one-half cup of water and sugar, pour this mixture over the garlic, and immediately close the jars. The garlic will keep for a very long time, and is particularly tasty in salads.

Ted Braam, Hagraulet-Du-Gers


Preserve Sage or Rosemary-Scented Vinegar

  • 1 lb. dried sage or rosemary flowers
  • 1/2 quart wine vinegar
  • A glass jar or bottle with cork or lid
  • A fine cloth
  • Bottles with corks or lids

Soak the dried flowers in a glass jar filled with wine vinegar. Close the jar and leave it in the sun for eight to ten days. Then filter the contents through a fine cloth, twice. Store this fragrant vinegar in tightly closed bottles.

Michel Guerville, Dannes


Recommended Reads

Tips & Tricks for Harvesting and Drying Herbs

Mastering the Actions of Herbs

 

Read The Book

Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning

Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation

$25

Enter your email to sign up for our newsletter and save 25% on your next order

Recent Articles

Sprout Today, Eat Healthy Tomorrow

If you’re ready to start growing a portion of your own food, but you aren’t quite ready for something that requires a big time commitment or a lot of effort, this is a good place to start. Sprouts are easy to cultivate, mature very quickly, can be used in a variety of delicious dishes, and…

Read More
salt-rising bread

On the Rise: How to Make Salt-Rising Bread

Want to spice up your traditional bread recipes? This salt-rising bread recipe by fermentation expert Sandor Ellix Katz has all the simplicity, flavor, and uniqueness you’ve been searching for! The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz. It has been adapted for the web. What Is Salt-Rising Bread? Salt-rising…

Read More

Milkweed Bud Pizza with Bacon and Pickled Turnips

Nothing says “spring” like a fresh, foraged meal! Savor the flavors of the season with this Milkweed Bud Pizza recipe.

Read More

Sprouted Amaranth Alegria Energy Bars

One simple and healthy way to breathe life back into your diet is by sprouting your own seeds. You can make nutrient-rich sprouts from all kinds of edible seeds right in your own kitchen. Sprouts are incredibly versatile too! You can make chickpea sprout hummus, salads, or in this case: energy bars! The following is…

Read More
oyster mushrooms

A Guide to Growing Oyster Mushrooms Indoors

What’s so great about oyster mushrooms? First, you can add them to the list of foods that can be grown indoors! They are tasty, easy to grow, multiply fast, and they love a variety of substrates, making oyster mushrooms the premium choice. The following is an excerpt from Fresh Food from Small Spaces by R. J.…

Read More