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Harvesting, Drying, and Storing Herbs
When you see the buds starting to form on your plants, you know the flavours are at their maximum, and this is the perfect time to harvest your herbs. It is now that the essential oils are at their peak, making for the maximum potency for use in both food and remedies. Each type of herb will bloom at a different point during the season - so you must keep an eye out for the buds, they are your cue. This will occur several times throughout the growing season, if you are careful not to over-harvest. Annual herbs can be cut back to 4-6 inches high, as long as you leave at least one pair of leaves. Perennials should be treated kindly, never removing more than one third of the plant. That's okay, though, the topmost leaves of your plants are the most flavourful.TechniqueGet out the sharpest pair of scissors you own, and cut large stems from the mature plant. Shake off any insects, then thoroughly rinse each individual sprig. Pat thoroughly dry so that they do not mould. Air-drying is the best method for retaining maximum flavour, and there are a couple of methods to do this:
Store herbs in airtight containers in the dark and use within one year for best quality. Other preservation methods and ways to use your herbs include:
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Natural Healthcare Canada - the Canadian reference
for Complementary and Alternative Healthcare; developed by pixcode web development; housed at GreenInstead. |
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Day One from the Total Health Show