Here’s how to grow & store herbs in the hinterland
Hinterland Homesteading with Racheal Pascoe
Having your own supply of fresh herbs is a wonderful thing for any kitchen. Herbs are full of goodness and finish off a meal with flavour. As a child I can remember Mum chopping parsley finely and sprinkling it on top of our bowl of spaghetti. I grow my own parsley now and so much more!
Herbs need a nice sunny, well-draining spot in the garden. Start with parsley, like most people do, but you might also think about chives, dill, basil, chamomile, mint, oregano, rosemary, lavender and thyme etc. Lots of these do wonderfully in pots. You will be able to take them with you if you move house. Buying fresh herbs from the supermarket is getting expensive and once they wilt, they are a throw away in most cases. It makes sense if you can grow your own and just pick what you need.
Nutritional benefits
You should look up the benefits of herbs. You will be nicely surprised that they contain all sorts of great vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Generally, a modest amount of any herb is valuable for our overall health. Just starting to include more herbs in and on your meals will contribute to bettering your health.
Team Coriander
I need to confess that I am not an enjoyer of coriander! In fact, I will pick a coriander garnish off any dish, so I don’t have to eat it. I certainly don’t cook with it. It seems the world is made up of those who enjoy it and those who find the smell and taste revolting. You might enjoy it though! If you do, you can easily grow it in our climate here on the Sunshine Coast.
When to harvest
Pick herbs when they are really looking their best. You are looking for good colour, no insect holes, nice leaves and great aroma. Harvesting early in the morning is best or in the cool of the evening. I like to pick my chives by the handful, chop them finely and freeze them. They freeze well and it is so easy to sprinkle a few on the top of a meal. I do this with parsley as well. I have just harvested a lot of bay leaves and dried them in the dehydrator. I now probably have a lifetime supply, but I am always sharing my goodies, so it works out well. Most herbs can be dehydrated. Make sure they are clean and dry first and go ‘low and slow’ with the time and temperature. Even with the bay leaves, I came back and kept checking to see how they were progressing. You can always put the dehydrator on again to complete a batch.
Herb hanger
As the weather is cooling off for us, maybe you would enjoy a herb hanger in your kitchen? It really is just a nice big bunch of your favourite herbs, tied together and hung in your kitchen. While it is fresh, it will make your kitchen smell terrific, and you can use the herbs. As the bunch dries out, it is handy to have them right there to use as dried herbs too. You could gift one to a friend? Recently I went to the hospital to visit a gardening friend of mine. I took her a mini herb hanger, so she could enjoy the smells of the garden. She loved it and so did all the nursing staff!
Happy Homesteading everyone!
