I was chatting to Denise Dunne who runs the Herb Garden in
Naul, County Dublin this week. Denise runs training courses, sells herbs and
seeds online that have culinary, medicinal and fragrance as well as decorative
uses in the garden. The Herb Garden is a Certified Organic Herb Nursery,
established by Denise in 1995 and also produces certified organic salad, flower
and native Irish wildflower seed to compliment the herbs.
I asked Denise what initially got her interested in Herbs “One
of my earliest herb memories is standing on a chair in the kitchen, beside my
Mam, and picking the thyme leaves off the stem for stuffing, rissoles, or our
family special, ‘pigeon pie’. Picking the tiny thyme leaves was a tedious job
that required patience, but not a huge amount of skill, so it was the perfect
way to introduce a child into the world of plants and cooking. I felt the
attention to detail was important and I was very careful to pick out every last
bit of stem that fell into the bowl.”
Denise knows how important good food is to a family. “We were practically self-sufficient long
before it became fashionable”. She tells
me “Mam and Dad planned and developed a lovely garden themselves in our new
home and transformed a barren plot into a miniature paradise, with an orchard, soft
fruits and beehives.”
It wasn’t always easy for a teenage Denise though “When I
was growing up all the neighbours called us ‘The Good Life’. I did find it
quite embarrassing, especially when the hens escaped onto the street. It is only with hindsight that I realize what
a wonderful gift my parents gave to us all. They both put so much effort into
providing the best food possible for their family. It is only natural that
cooking and eating together was always a special occasion and still is an integral
part of any family celebration.” Denise concludes.
As it’s coming to the end of the season I ask Denise if she
can give us any tips and advice about how we can preserve herbs for the winter
before the frosts come.
PRESERVING HERBS
“Herbs for preserving should be harvested on a dry, sunny
morning, after the dew has evaporated. To obtain maximum flavour and
nutritional content, material for preserving needs to be at its very best. This
will depend on the part of the plant that is required.- Leaves should be harvested just before the plant flowers.
- Flowers are at their best when they have just opened.
- Fruit should be just ripe.
- Seed is ripe when it changes from green to brown. For seeds in pods, shake the stem. You will hear the seeds rattle when they are ripe.
- Roots are at their best when the top growth of the plant has completely died back, in autumn or winter.
Drying
Cut the stems just above ground level. Trim and discard any
discoloured or damaged leaves. Tie into small bunches and hang in a dark, dry,
airy place, or put them in a paper bag punched with holes, to eliminate light
and dust. When the plant is completely dry, it will become brittle. Remove the
leaves from the stems and store in airtight jars, in a dark place. To retain
maximum flavour, it is best to store the leaves whole and crush, if necessary,
just before using.
Freezing
Freezing is the best method for preserving the colour,
flavour and nutritional content of herbs with soft, lush, green leaves, (eg.
chives, dill, basil, mint, tarragon). Wash the herbs, if necessary, and shake
dry. Freeze them in plastic bags, in bunches, on the stem. There is no need to
thaw before using, just add at the end of cooking.
Alternatively, chop the herbs finely, put them in ice-cube
trays and top up with water. Flowers, especially borage, can be frozen in
ice-cubes for adding to drinks.
Preserving in
Oil/Vinegar
Herbs preserved in oil or vinegar are very useful for adding
flavour to many dishes.
Herb Oils
Fill a wide-necked, sterilised jar with fresh herb, broken
into pieces with your fingers. When the jar is as full as possible, cover with
good quality olive, sunflower, safflower or almond oil, preferably organic. Put
on a tight fitting lid. Stand the jar in a warm or sunny place, covering it
with brown paper if it's in a sunny position. Shake at least once a day for 14
days. Strain and store out of direct light.Suitable herbs - basil, garlic,
fennel, lavender, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme. Spices, chillies and
orange or lemon peel can be added.
Herb Vinegars
Bruise the herb and fill a wide-necked jar. Top up with warm
(not hot) wine or cider vinegar. Continue as for herb oils.
Suitable herbs - bay, chervil, dill, elderflower, garlic,
fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary, tarragon, thyme. Spices, chillies and citrus
rind can also be added.
Fruit vinegars are made by the same method. Roughly chop the
fruit in a food processor first.
Suitable fruits - blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries,
gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries.”
You can find more tips and advice about herbs and seeds and
a newsletter on Denise’s website theherbgarden.ie
