The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [42]
Freezing Berries in Sugar
Excellent finished product
Wash berries and drain on towels. Hull. Pat dry with another towel.
Add ¾ cup of sugar to each quart of berries and mix well.
Pack into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Seal and freeze.
tips Berries packed with sugar retain their texture better than berries frozen unsweetened. Sweetened frozen strawberries can be thawed and served as a topping for pancakes, shortcake, or ice cream. Tray-frozen berries are best served semi-thawed so they retain their shape.
Frozen fruit can be easily defrosted in a microwave. Set the microwave on DEFROST (30% power) and defrost 1-pint containers for 5 to 6 minutes and 1-quart containers for 9 to 10 minutes.
CHAPTER 6
Preserving Herbs
THE MOST COMMON WAY to preserve herbs is to dry them. However, many herbs can be frozen, with the end product closer to fresh than dried. Frozen herbs, however, appear limp and are sometimes discolored, so they will not be suitable to use as garnishes or with most raw foods. However, frozen herbs are excellent in cooked dishes.
Herbs can also be preserved in pesto or other herb pastes, which freeze beautifully, or used to make teas, vinegars, and jellies. In this chapter, I start with drying and freezing herbs, and then give methods and recipes for various herbal products.
Drying Herbs: Fast and Convenient
PICK LEAVES AND FLOWERS FOR DRYING when the flower buds are about half open. If seeds are being harvested, they should be collected when the seed heads are turning brown. Pick before noon, as soon as the sun has dried off the dew. Use pruning shears to harvest, leaving about 4 inches of stem on annual herbs and about two-thirds of the stem on perennial herbs to permit further growth.
Wash herbs under running water or spray them, inspecting the leaves for dirt and insects as you do. Shake to remove moisture and pat dry.
The flavor of most dried herbs is much more pronounced than fresh herbs, so it is important to use very small amounts in cooking. A few herbs, including parsley, cilantro, and chives, lose flavor when dried and are far superior fresh or frozen.
Hang-Drying Herbs
Best and quickest method
Hang-drying is definitely the fastest, easiest, and most popular way to preserve herbs. Just tie the freshly picked herbs together in small bunches and hang them upside down in a warm, dark, airy place. Some people place the herb bundles in paper bags with air holes punched in them to reduce the exposure to light and dust, but this isn’t necessary if you are drying in a dark, airy attic.
The herbs should be dry in about 2 weeks — or when they crumble to the touch. Don’t forget about them; allowing them to hang for too long reduces their quality.
Strip the leaves, crumble, and store in small glass jars. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.
tip If your microwave oven manufacturer doesn’t warn against using a microwave for herb drying, you can give it a try. Place a single layer of herb leaves between paper towels and dry for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the leaves. Remove paper towels. When dry, herbs will crumble in the hands. If not dry, return leaves to the microwave and dry at 1-minute intervals. Do not overdry; herbs will taste charred and may even catch fire.
Dehydrator Drying
Be sure to dry only one type of herb at a time. Arrange herbs in a thin layer on dehydrator trays. Dry according to the times listed for each individual herb on pages 131 to 134, from 4 to 18 hours depending on the fleshiness of the leaves. Crumble and store in small glass jars. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.
Oven-Drying Herbs
To keep flavors from mingling, dry only one type of herb at a time. Heat your oven to 200°F. Turn off the heat. Place a rack of herb leaves in the oven and leave for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Or dry according to the directions given for each individual herb on pages 131 to 134.
Crumble and store in small glass jars. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.
Freezing Herbs
SOME OF THE THICK,