Preserving Herbs

A big advantage of the homefarm is that you can always harvest exactly the fresh herbs you need in your kitchen. If you happen to harvest more fresh herbs than you need or if you want to grow other herbs, vegetables, or microgreens, then don't let them go to waste and preserve the fresh herbs. Preserving herbs is quite simple. Here are 3 ways you can preserve them.

Herb Oil

It's quite easy to make a delicious herb oil that's full of flavor. Use your favorite herb or herb mixture. Here's how:

Choose a high-quality oil as a base, such as extra virgin olive oil. Use clean jars that can be easily sealed airtight. Add fresh herbs or a mixture of herbs, depending on your preference. You can use as many herbs as you like. More leaves mean more intense flavor.

Now, simply let it infuse for one to two weeks. You can also find a delicious garlic herb oil in the urbanhive app.

Freezing

Freezing is a popular method for preserving fresh herbs from the homefarm. This ensures that all valuable vitamins are retained. Most fresh herbs in our urbanhive range are suitable for freezing. Dill, parsley, and all types of basil are particularly well-suited. Frozen herbs typically remain usable for a whole year. Here's how:

Unlike store-bought herbs or fresh herbs from the garden, you don't need to wash the herbs from the homefarm. Simply place the fresh herbs in a single layer of individual leaves on foil or, even better, on a beeswax wrap. Alternatively, you can chop the fresh herbs beforehand.

Next, you need to freeze the herbs overnight, then transfer them to a jar or bag and put them back in the refrigerator as quickly as possible. It's best to label the container with the name and date, as herbs often look quite similar when frozen.

Herb Saver

Another way to triple the lifespan of your fresh herbs is to use a herb saver. This is an extra container where the herbs are placed, and the container is filled with water. The herb saver extends the life of your fresh herbs by another 3 weeks.