Putting up Herbs

It's that time of year. The "putting up" time. I don't can or put up veggies since I don't have a garden. But I do plant herbs every year and they produce enough to enjoy now and then later.

Our house is an older home, which was built by an architect for himself. One of the things I love is the outside door in the kitchen. I'm thinking a jardin potager must be built out on this side!

It's been the perfect spot to grow herbs in our HOT, HOT, HOT West Texas sun. The porch off the kitchen is on the north side of the house. It gets early morning sun and that seems to be enough for the herbs as they are flourishing!!

 

Saturday morning, I harvested 6 cups of sweet basil and made 3 batches of pesto; 2 for the freezer and 1 for dinner. 

And then I began harvesting individual herbs and prepared them for the freezer.

How you will use the herbs later on will dictate in what you freeze them.

The lemon balm was made into pesto in the food processor and blended with olive oil before it was placed into an ice cube tray. This will be wonderful on baked fish!

Thyme and rosemary were  placed in the tray with water.

Chicken stock and baked chicken - oh yumm.

And Sage was bathed in olive oil.

I love to fry my sage a bit for pork tenderloin. The oil is perfect for this.
NOTE My trays have individual wells so that I can mix the herbs and liquid without it contaminating the next well.

Place your tray in the freezer and freeze until solid.

Then pop out the herb cubes and place into labeled plastic bags.

You will love yourself on those gloomy winter days!

Do you spot one of the jars of pesto?

After we removed the glass "screen" door and replaced it with a screen door, our yard cats Billy and Scaredy have taken to talking to Regan through the door. They don't even move when I come from around the side of the house and harvest. If I went out the kitchen door, they would have to move.

How do you store your herbs for the winter?