Too many fresh herbs

Greetings! In addition to being an avid and long-time Whole Foods shopper, this year we have signed up with a CSA farm, so now we have a problem. We get tons and tons of different fresh herbs (some of which I can't even identify) and I cannot possibly use them all. I have given some to friends and neighbors, but I still keep getting them. When I left one bunch of something out in an attempt to dry it, it rotted (too much humidity?). Are there any good methods to dry or freeze them to use later? Thanks very much! Judith

a Whole Foods Market Customer
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5 Comments

wssmom
wssmom September 27, 2011
For leafy herbs like basil that you are going to use in cooking, you can puree 2 cups in the food processor to 1/2 cup olive oil, and then freeze in ziplock or vacuum seal bags. For other herbs, you can strip the leaves, spread them on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for a couple hours to overnight, and than package them in ziplock or vacuum sealed bags to freeze. Thyme and rosemary freeze great because of their low moisture content.
 
LLStone
LLStone September 27, 2011
I had some fresh herbs and this is what I did with them:

http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2011/08/david-lebovitzs-herb-rub.html

My living room smells sooo good! I used the rosemary and sage, but added some basil just because.
 
boulangere
boulangere September 27, 2011
And if you're hanging them to dry, please be sure to hang them out of direct sunlight. Generally, the higher the moisture content, in other words, the more tender the leaf, the better the pesto. Conversely, the drier (think thyme, marjoram, rosemary), the better for drying. Lucky you to have such a dilemma.
 
RobS
RobS September 27, 2011
Drying is one method but there are others. Some herbs like basil can be layered in a jar with olive oil. Other can be ground in a food processor and frozen by themselves or as a partial pesto (partial meaning with oil and nuts but not cheese.) Fully made pesto can also be frozen (using ice cube trays to freeze helps with future portion control)
 
beyondcelery
beyondcelery September 27, 2011
When drying herbs, be sure to tie them at one end and hang them upside down from a hook or the ceiling. You want them hanging where they'll get fresh, preferably dry air. If its quite humid where you live, try hanging them upside down close to your stove, such as near the hood or maybe near the oven vent.
 
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