herb growing and drying

[SETH885315]

since everyone was so helpful in my last post (and didn't make fun of me for being so inexpirienced in the kitchen as yet), i've decided to press my luck and ask another question...

i just moved out on my own and am setting up my apartment, and i thought it might be interesting to try growing my own herbs. i already have seed packets for all the basics: basil, rosemary, oregano. anyone have any other ideas for fresh herbs that are easy to grow (i don't know if my thumb's green yet), and has anyone ever tried drying their own herbs instead of buying them at the store? if so, how did this turn out? i'm thinking that it would be just as simple as cutting a live sprig of something and just hanging it upside-down until it dries out, then mash it up in the new mortar and pestal i bought when i got the seeds, but i could be wrong about this...

so what do the cooking experts say about this? fresh herbs, yes, dried herbs, no? or are they both good? also, how do you NOT kill the plant when you take some of its leaves off? is there a right way to do that?

thanks for helping the uninitiated http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

seth.

[MrsReber]

Seth, you're too funny- we always try to help and never poke fun at anyone. Anyway, if you snip the leaves with cutters (I just use my kitchen shears) you won't have to maim or kill your plants. I have had trouble growing basil inside. Seems to grow very slowly. It likes alot of light, as do most herbs. Rosemary is fairly easy, though I've always started with a plant, not seeds. No advice on the oregano- mine died! You are brave! Outside I have sage and thyme. The sage seems to grow all winter.

In addition to drying the herbs, you can also freeze them fresh. I do that with my basil. I have quite a few bags in the freezer. Of course, fresh always seems to taste best, but it's not always possible to have fresh herbs around.

Good luck with your new apartment and good luck with cooking. I think it's great that you're taking an interest!

By the way, there have been some past threads about herbs and how to store them. If you do a search on this BB, I'm sure you'll come up with plenty of hints! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 02-01-2001).]

[donleyk]

Seth,

I have had very good luck with growing thyme indoors. I have tarragon growing also. I tried to kill that one tho' so it is on the rebound.

I, too, just use my shears unless it is a lot of herbs then I will use my food processor.

Sometimes in the produce section of the grocery there will be a variety of small herb plants in containers. Have you seen these? Ocassionally, I will pick these up and try not to kill them.... Good luck!

[SETH885315]

thanks for the reply, mrsreber. so you started with plants, huh? i KNEW the 3/$1.00 seed packet deal was too good to be true! ~smirk here~ ah well, live and learn... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

seth

[SETH885315]

i should have added before... the reason i was asking about drying herbs was because i see recipes that call for dried, as opposed to fresh, herbs, and i don't know if i could substitute fresh for dried, or if the amounts would change because their fresh... anyone have any wisdom on this point?

and yes, i saw the live plants at the grocery store, but i was afraid i would kill them if i didn't start them from seed... we'll have to wait and see! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

seth.

[sneezles]

Seth
While I have never had any (and I do mean ANY) luck growing herbs...I wish you luck.
To answer your other question the ratio for substituting dried for fresh is to use 1/4 the amount of dried.

[Leanne]

I have friends who started from seed - but they have much more of a green thumb than I do - much easier & faster to start with plants. I grow basil outside all summer long - not much maintenance & I've never killed it. Never tried inside.

On the dried/fresh question - you use less dried than fresh in a recipe. I don't know the exchange - but I know we've had this discussion at some point in the past - maybe you can find it with a search - or maybe someone who knows will be willing to re-post that info.

Good luck with cooking & growing! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Just saw Sneezles post about the amounts.

[This message has been edited by Leanne (edited 02-01-2001).]

[noni liedtke]

It is easy to dry them in your microwave, but look up your own times in index. Hate to bee discouraging, but itt is so much faster and easier to start with plants. Chives dry perfectly, but basil I find, is too fragile.good luck, your green thumb granny

[noni liedtke]

I meant chives freeze perfectly

[tovie]

Mint and chives dry nicely in the microwave. I layer them between paper towels. I don't know how long, I just keep checking until they're dry. I've also hung mint, cilantro and catnip (for the cat <g> ) to dry. I just strung a piece of string from my towel rack in the kitchen to something else, tied 3-4 stalk ends together and tied them to the string. Takes a lot longer that way and it depends on how humid the weather is.

Anybody have any comments on how well those small pots in the produce section work? They seem kind of small to me, too, like you'd need several pots or they'd need to grow for several months before using. I keep eyeing them, because I have a couple recipes I like to make that need fresh cilantro, only I can never remember to buy the cilantro. But I also tend to have a black thumb when it comes to growing things (g) I had absolutely nothing to do with the planting or appearance of the above mentioned herbs that I dry, they've been in the yard for years and I just snip them to use occasionally.

Tovie

[MrsReber]

I do much better buying the plants. I tried to start some plants from seeds and they took forever to grow! Then they just died. I started them and put plastic over top and kept them in the sunlight on a window sill. They sprouted, then died. I think I had a couple of basil plants that made it- one of which is still in the house. It grows much slower inside. Oh, and Seth, if the plant starts to flower, you have to pinch off the buds! Don't let the basil do that!

I did have some luck with starting tomato and pepper plants from seed and then transferring the plants out side during late spring. They grew just as nicely as the store bought and I could plant all different color ones, too.

Tovie, I had planted catnip outside one year. My cat loved it! He rubbed his head in the dirt all around the plant once he realized it was there. We even had a few other kitty visitors in our yard!

[sneezles]

MrsReber
I was glad to hear that growing from seeds didn't work for you either. I have tried those little pots many times and my DH just laughs every time they die saying my thumb must be black instead of green. This spring I will give the plants a go!

[lsdesign]

Two things that I have learned that really work. Everyone marvels about the huge basil I grow, from seed, because I use Canadian peat moss. I has to be from Canada, my dear departed Dad would swear by it and it is a miracle thing. The second this is that cilantro is super easy from seed. Just let some of the plants go to seed and keep replanting all summer long. They even sow themselves if you ignore them. I also buy my seeds from the Shepherd's Seed Catalogue, they have many interesting things and are on the web too.

[junietoo]

Seth: About a quarter of my yard is devoted to perennial and, in season, annual herbs. I also have grown various herbs during the winter with varying success. You can keep potted rosemary inside during the winter, but it's susceptible to powdery mildew -- a kind of moldy-looking nastiness that will take over the plant very quickly. Unless you want to spray it with questionable chemicals, toss it and start over.

The woody type plants seem to do better in pots in the house than the annual herbs such as basil and cilantro. They get "leggy" and anemic-looking from the weak winter sun. A south-facing window will help.

Cilantro and parsley stay pretty well usable in the garden throughout the winter if it's mild. Otherwise, I microwave them between paper towels and then keep them in the freezer. I tried this for cilantro this year because my favorite white-bean chili recipe calls for dried cilantro and store-bought tastes like dust. It smells like nothing in the jar, but crush the leaves and, ohhhh, that heavenly cilantro flavor is released.

I could go on and on about growing things. I love it! My favorite seed/plant calalog is Johnny's Seeds. It's a great place for a nice selection of sprouting seeds for wintertime crunch. And, the explanations about how to grow things is excellent.

[tovie]

Originally posted by MrsReber:
Tovie, I had planted catnip outside one year. My cat loved it! He rubbed his head in the dirt all around the plant once he realized it was there. We even had a few other kitty visitors in our yard!



LOL. Yes, the cats love it. I bring in a handful for my two every once in a while. The one'll sit up on her hind feet like a squirrel and hold a leaf between her front paws to nibble.

And speaking of cats, does anyone growing herbs inside have trouble keeping the cats out of them? (the people herbs, not the catnip <g> ) I was thinking about picking up a pot of cilantro this weekend and seeing if I could keep it alive but talking about cats reminded me how much my one like his veggies and green growing things (Oooo, thanks for the salad, mommy <g> )

Tovie

[Vanessa]

Herbs are a wonderful addition to a garden and they do well in pots in a deck too. In the summer we grow them. I do seeds for basil & cilantro. Some herbs are perennials so they return year after year in the garden.
This past year I tried some M Stewart herbs from Kmart and they did well. When its cold we cover the herb side of the garden with leaves. Others in the deck we bring in to our kitchen window. I must say they don't do that well indoors except for Rosemary but at least they hold on til its warm to put them back outside. Herbs like well drain soil and a sunny place.
To dry herbs I put the leaves in a container in the refrigerator until dry and brittle then transfer to ziplock bags. Also I use a dehydrator. You can certaintly take a bunch and put to dry upside down (do that with flowers and sage etc).
Good luck growing herbs http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Anne]

Hi folks. I have had some success with growing herbs inside during the winter. However, I have to hang the pots from the ceiling to keep cat out of them. With this particular cat in residence I cannot keep any plants within feline reach. Since so many plants seem to be bad for cats, or are for human consumption, preferably with cat saliva, every plant in the house is suspended. This method also seems to slow the spread of the insect pests and fungus that seem to love herbs so much.

[donleyk]

tovie,

I think it depends on the cat http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif My tiger cat doesn't get into my herbs inside. Thankfully, we trained him early to stay out of my houseplants, tho'.

I've heard cilantro isn't easy to grow indoors, so good luck. It would be wonderful to have it really fresh all year 'round.

[nancy_east]

I have had good luck so far growing herbs from, as corny as it sounds, the chia herb garden collection (yes, they are the same manufacturer as those crazy chia heads!) They grow from seed and are fairly low maintenence so far. They are just beginning to get their 2nd set of leaves, and looking good. The kit is about $15 and I found mine at K-Mart. A little more expensive to do it this way, but they are guaranteed. I'm growing chives, parsley, basil and dill, but the kit comes with 6 seed packets to choose from (the other are cilantro and marjoram I believe) Good luck!

[Roo]

I've had really good luck with a small container garden of basil, chives and cilantro. I'm attempting basil an chives in my windowsill now. I've gotten them to sprout from seed and now I'm just watering them and waiting. I just started this project about three weeks ago, so I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Interesting side note, I've had really good luck with all of my plants from seed (so far) but I tried to grow Rosemary that was already started and killed it in less than a week.

[julia]

I tried growing herbs outside last summer, basil especially as it is my favourite, but unfortunately it is also a favourite of earwigs - nasty little bugs. I gave up growing it outside as I didn't want to put chemicals on the plants to kill the bugs and then eventually have to eat it.

Several years ago we grew basil in a hydroponic tank and it grew wonderfully. We just bought a new 3 x 2 unit with little pots inside so we can grow a vareity of herbs. DH is making a pine stand for it and then we'll put it in the kitchen by the stove. The reason for the unit with little pots is because when we grew the basil before, we put in some cilantro seeds and the basil just strangled the cilantro. Hopefully withe each plant in its own little pot, it will get a chance to grow.

[tovie]

Originally posted by donleyk:
tovie,

I think it depends on the cat http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif My tiger cat doesn't get into my herbs inside. Thankfully, we trained him early to stay out of my houseplants, tho'.

I've heard cilantro isn't easy to grow indoors, so good luck. It would be wonderful to have it really fresh all year 'round.

Well, I stuck a bunch of fresh cilantro in the cat's face for him to sniff and he didn't like it. Really didn't like it, almost as bad as his reaction to citrus (g) So I guess that bodes well for keeping him out of it. The only plant I ever had success with growing was an aloe vera. And it did real well until the cat decided he liked it. A lot. So I have added a pot of cilantro to my grocery list and I'll see if I can overcome my black thumb (g)

Thanks,
Tovie

[Leanne]

I was surprised to find that the parsely I planted last year (outside) is starting to come back. I'm pretty excited about that - talk about low maintenance!

[MrsReber]

Leanne, my parsley came back last year, too. I was very surprised. I think because it was covered with leaves all winter and we had a rather mild winter. Unfortunately, though, it didn't come back so great. It wasn't all nice and green and it was mostly going to seed all summer. Hope yours does better than mine!

[monica67]

Hi, I found this thread in a search for something else, and thougth maybe those who responded could possibly help.
For the second season in a row, I'm trying to grow herbs indoors. I started with cilantro, and thought I'd wait for those to stabilize before starting on basil or something else. Well, still waiting. It's been well over a month and they don't look too good. The stems have started to curl about a week or two ago, so that they are growing every which way. Also I've had a lot die off, so that I'm afraid to thin out any more, though some are still quite close together.
thing is I've been getting conflicting advice. I thought the plant liked light, but was told that it doesn't so I moved it to a less sunny window. The day I moved it I notice yellow tips on one or two leaves (so that's not from lack of light). I've never let it dry out (though I was told to do this as well), so it wasn't wilted. I don't think I've over-watered it though.
Any ideas for help? Would love it! I love cilantro and use it all the time, so wanted to have my own plant, with some fresh stuff available at all times!

thanks,
monica