Planting and tending a garden can be hard work, and even if you do everything right, the results aren’t always perfect. You can grow the world’s most beautiful tomatoes one year, and the next, all that grow are empty vines. Nature is a powerful force!
But if there is one type of garden that is almost effortless, it’s an herb garden. With just a little water and some sunshine, herbs will grow tall and strong. We have herb gardens on all of our CIA campuses, like this one in Hyde Park, New York!
Herbs are plants with leaves (or seeds or even flowers) that are used for flavoring food. Common herbs are parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, rosemary, and oregano. Some herbs are very tender, like cilantro and parsley, but some are heartier, like rosemary. When picked from the plant, they are referred to as “fresh herbs,” but they can also be dried and stored to use for later.
Herbs are useful ingredients for nearly any recipe, from salsas and soups to roasts and even iced tea. They can provide a hint of flavor, like the subtle addition of thyme in a chicken broth, or they can be a main flavoring, like in basil pesto or mint tea.
If your garden is thriving, you may start to feel overwhelmed by all of your herbs! Luckily, there are some easy ways to preserve your surplus herbs for when the weather turns too cold for your garden.
- Dry your herbs. Collect a bunch of herbs, still on their stems, and tie them with kitchen twine like a bouquet of flowers. Hang the herbs upside-down somewhere out of the way until they are dried (it can take a few days, depending on how humid it is outside). Strip the leaves from the stem and store them in a zip-top bag. Use these dried herbs for cooking, tea, or potpourri.
- Turn your herbs into a sauce, like pesto or chimichurri. Freeze the sauce in a muffin pan (silicone will be easiest). Once they are frozen, remove the portions from the pan, running warm water over the bottom to loosen, if needed, and freeze in a zip-top bag. Defrost the sauce just as you need it.
- Infuse the herbs in a sugar simple syrup. Combine equal parts sugar and water (1 cup sugar and 1 cup water, for example) in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and add your herbs. Let the mixture cool, then strain it. You can then use this syrup for iced tea, lemonade, or popsicles, or to soak or glaze cakes and pastries. We tend to associate mint with sweet foods, but you can try savory versions like thyme or rosemary.
- Make an herb oil. This is especially nice with parsley or cilantro. Blanch the herbs in boiling water, for just 10 seconds. This will keep the herbs green. Put them in a blender with some olive oil. Place a coffee filter into the top of a jar, securing it in place with a rubber band or tape, and pour the oil into the filter. Set it aside to strain overnight. Store the strained oil in a cool dark place and use it for salad dressings, drizzled over open-faced sandwiches and eggs, or as a dip for bread at a dinner party.
If small flowers suddenly appear on your herbs, snip them off and give them a taste. You may be surprised to find that the flower of your herb plant taste like a concentrated version (so, powerful!) of the herb itself! Many chefs use these little flowers as a flavorful garnish for a beautiful plate.
And remember that once you pick your herbs, it's a race against the clock before they start to wilt. Most herbs, like cilantro, parsley, tarragon, and thyme, are best stored refrigerated, wrapped in a damp paper towel and placed in an open plastic bag. Basil keeps better when stored like flowers, upright in a jar with enough water just to cover the bottom of the stems.
A little wilting is okay (you can even refresh tired herbs with a quick dip in some ice water), but you'll know it's time to discard your herbs when they become brown and slimy with an off-odor.