Tips on Harvesting Herbs from Your Home Herb Garden

Harvesting herbs from a home herb garden requires a little bit of work — but there are several ways to go about it.   Most herbs are ready to harvest just as the buds are opening into full blossom because this is when they contain the most volatile oils and the greatest fragrance and flavor. The best time to pick is in the early morning on a warm sunny day when the dew has evaporated, and before it gets hot. And it’s important to harvest as early as possible in the season so that your plants will come up again before the season is over. Regarding perennials, don’t wait to harvest them late in the season as you will lose a lot of their flavor, and you may lose the plant itself. Cut perennials to leave one third of the stalks and side branches, and a bit less if the stalks are stiff and woody.Do NOT cut annuals close to the ground, and leave enough foliage so that the plants will continue to grow. If you live in warm country, you just may get two harvests in one season.       If the herbs you harvest are to be dried, it’s important for most of them to be picked when the oils are at their peak. However, basil, marjoram and sage can be picked at any time. In preparation for drying, bring your herb crop indoors, rinse off the dirt, shake off the excess moisture, and remove any yellowed, decayed and coarse leaves. To dry them, hang your plants upside down, letting the oils run down into the leaves, and put them into paper bags. The bags will catch any leaves and seeds which may fall and keep the plants out of the sunlight. Alternatively, lay the plants on trays or screens. After the leaves are dry, and you can crumple them in your hand, strip them off the plant and put them in air-tight containers.Another way to preserve your herbs is to freeze them. Try freezing the following: chives, fennel, burnet, lovage, sorrel, chervil, mint, chives, parsley, tarragon, dill leaves, thyme, sage, and sweet marjoram. First, pick them in the early morning on a sunny day before it gets too hot, cut the tops with stems that are long enough to tie into small bunches, and dip the herbs into boiling water. Then quickly plunge them into ice water until the herbs are thoroughly chilled. Pat them dry with absorbent paper, place them in freezer bags, label them, and pop in the freezer.Try any of these methods and enjoy the results!

_______________________________________________________________Our names are John Schepper and Maggie Guscott and we’ve been herb garden enthusiasts for many years. For more information on herb garden plants and more, please visit http://www.herbgarden4beginners.com and be sure to sign up for our free 10-lesson mini eCourse, Herb Garden 4 Beginners.

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