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The March topic for the 2019 Food in Jars Challenge was “Preserving Herbs.” In our area of Minnesota, we had over 40 inches of snow in February and March – not to mention our cold winter temperatures – so, unfortunately, I didn’t really have any fresh herbs available to me.
Dehydrating Herbs
However, in the summer we do grow quite a few different herbs in our garden, and we dry them in the fall and store them in my Grandma’s vintage blue mason jars. So, I did have some of those dried herbs to work with and came up with a few ideas anyway.
After all, what kind of monthly challenge participant would I be if I skipped a month?!
I hope you enjoy my quick tour of how I preserved with herbs!
Meyer Lemon & Parsley Sea Salt
We recently had an Aldi store open about 30 miles from us, which was the most exciting thing to happen around here this winter. They have had Meyer lemons each time I’ve been there, and I used some to make Meyer Lemon & Cherry Marmalade and some dehydrated lemon slices as part of January’s “Citrus Preserving” challenge.
This month, I bought some more of those Meyer lemons and a bunch of fresh parsley and made a batch of this herb sea salt. I’m honestly not sure what we will all use it for, but we had a fresh ham steak for dinner a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious on that! (We cooked it on the stovetop on our Lodge reversible griddle for some fancy ‘we cooked this inside’ grill marks!)
Meyer Lemon & Parsley Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 3 Meyer lemons, quartered and seeds removed
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Put the quartered Meyer lemons and chopped parsley in a food processor and pulse until all pieces are finely chopped. Add 3 Tbsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Spread it out as thin as you can on a parchment-lined baking sheet to dry.
- Allow it to dry for 2 days, rolling over it with a rolling pin to keep it separated and help it dry. After a few days, ensure it is fully dry or you can finish it in a dehydrator or oven on low dehydrating temperature (mine only goes down to 170, which isn't quite low enough - but I dehydrate in it sometimes and just keep a close eye on it.)
- When the salt is completely dry, you can put it in a jar - but it is a good idea to not secure lid tightly for a few weeks. If you do seal tightly, open it up after 1-2 days and ensure it isn't gathering moisture - if it is, it needs to be dried more.
- This recipe made 1 8-ounce jar of herb sea salt.
Notes
Basil Pesto
We normally make a batch of basil pesto every year during final garden harvest (or to thin basil out to promote growth mid-season), but for some reason, we haven’t made it in a few years. When we do make a large batch it freezes well in small jelly jars with airtight lids. As part of this month’s challenge, I decided to make a small batch using some basil that I had dried from my garden in the fall.
I just have to say one thing about the Corto Olive Oil you see in the photo above. I have been buying it for several years and we love it. One box is about $50, but it lasts us nearly a year – and we cook daily. There are so many olive oils on the market that are mixed with other oils or are other oils altogether … I like buying a brand that is from California, from the farm that makes it. Anyway, enough about that – but you can get some here if you’d like!
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried basil flakes (from my garden)
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the basil, walnuts, garlic, and cheese in your food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended, adding in the olive oil as you go to help emulsify the mixture. If needed, you can add additional olive oil. Store in an 8-ounce jelly jar with an airtight lid in the freezer, and take out as needed for use.
Notes
Compound Butter
I also made some compound butter, which is basically butter blended with herbs, spices, a bit of liquid, and then pressed into a roll. If you know me, you know I don’t exactly do things halfway – so I ended up choosing four flavors of compound butter to make. There are four sticks of butter in a pound after all, so it was basically meant to be.
A few tools you see in the photo above include of course my vintage Pyrex bowls. To my husband, I say: “See, I told you I needed 4 of these that are all the same size.” Also shown is my mortar and pestle that was a $ 5-yard sale treasure (don’t worry, you can buy a similar one here!) You also see my Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor Chopper, Norpro Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon Set (designed to fit into spice jars which is so perfect), Rada hand chopper, and Rada paring knife. I have said this before, but having the right tools in your kitchen is really so important! (… says the girl who doesn’t have a stand mixer or bread machine and had to knead a sourdough loaf by hand for 15 minutes last week. Hey, it was a good workout.)
Compound Butter Mix-in Ideas
I am a relatively new customer of Penzeys Spices and love the quality and flavor of their herbs and spices. I am also a member of the Penzeys Spices Fan Club on Facebook, where everyone shares recipes and ideas for using their Penzeys Spices. In the group, I asked for some suggestions of flavor combinations for compound herb butter and was given a TON of ideas. I’m sharing them here because they are too good to keep to myself!
Herbs:
Pesto Butter (omit the oil and use all other pesto ingredients)
Lemon & Dill is perfect on fish
Cowboy Butter is great for grilled steaks or pork chops
Parsley, Lemon Zest & Garlic
Fresh Herb Butter (Sage, Rosemary & Thyme) for turkey
Worcestershire Sauce, Shallots & Chives
Garlic, Lemon & Capers (finely chopped)
Chive & Shallot
Sage, Parsley & Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Oregano, Basil & Chives
Tarragon, Crushed Mustard Seeds & Chives
Dill & Parsley
Blue Cheese + your favorite herb(s) to top steaks
Spices:
Cinnamon & Chipotle
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Curry Powder
Chili Powder & Lime
Chili & Cocoa Butter (Mole Butter)
Inspired by Penzeys Spices:
Sunny Paris + Shallot Pepper
Berbere – I can see this being great on vegetables or red meats.
Fox Point
Parisien Bonnes Herbes
Turkish Seasoning
Sweet:
Strawberry (or Blueberry) is excellent on a scone or muffin
Honey, Ginger & Pear
Maple, Cinnamon & Toasted Walnuts or Pecans on pancakes or waffles
Honey & Cinnamon
Cranberry & Orange
Citrus and Honey
Unsalted Butter + Your Favorite Jam is great for pancakes, crepes, muffins, etc.
Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon & Honey
Orange Marmalade
Walnut Butter
My Compound Butter Choices
Though I obviously couldn’t use all of the ideas for this month’s challenge, I eventually narrowed it down to four options and will be coming back to the above list later to try a few more flavor combinations. Lots of recipes for compound butter call for unsalted butter, but I used salted butter for mine and just did not add any salt to any of them. You could, of course, use unsalted if you prefer.
For each flavor I chose to make, I put a softened stick of butter in one of my vintage Pyrex bowls, added the mix-in ingredients, and mixed with my hand mixer. It turns into a sticky mess inside the beaters unless you carefully put the mixer on a high-speed setting.
When the ingredients each were thoroughly mixed, I rolled each batch into a log-in parchment paper, twisted the ends shut, labeled them, and put them into a freezer bag in the freezer.
When I was selecting the flavors to make, I wanted to make a variety that would be good with a variety of different meals. Here are the four flavors I ended up making:
Sundried Tomato & Basil
Worcestershire, Shallot & Chive
Garlic, Parsley, Lemon & Caper
Tarragon, Mustard & Chive
Here are the recipes!
Sundried Tomato & Basil Compound Butter
Sundried Tomato & Basil Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (salted), softened
- 3 tsp roasted garlic powder (I use Penzeys)
- 2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dried basil, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Mix ingredients thoroughly with a hand mixer on high speed. When incorporated, roll into a log and wrap in parchment paper. It will be ok in the refrigerator for 1 week. For longer-term storage, freeze in a freezer bag and take out as needed.
Notes
Worcestershire, Shallot & Chive Compound Butter
Worcestershire, Shallot & Chive Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (salted), softened
- 2 Tbsp dried shallots (I use Penzeys)
- 1 tsp roasted garlic powder (I use Penzeys)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp mustard powder (I use Penzeys)
- 2 tsp dried chives (I use Penzeys)
Instructions
- Mix ingredients thoroughly with a hand mixer on high speed. When incorporated, roll into a log and wrap in parchment paper. Will be ok in the refrigerator for 1 week. For longer-term storage, freeze in a freezer bag and take out as needed.
Notes
Garlic, Parsley, Lemon & Caper Compound Butter
Garlic, Parsley, Lemon & Caper Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (salted), softened
- 3 Tbsp dried parsley (from my garden)
- 1 Tbsp dried shallots (I use Penzeys)
- 1/2 tsp roasted garlic powder (I use Penzeys)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp capers, finely minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix ingredients thoroughly with a hand mixer on high speed. When incorporated, roll into a log and wrap in parchment paper. Will be ok in the refrigerator for 1 week. For longer-term storage, freeze in a freezer bag and take out as needed.
Notes
Tarragon, Mustard & Chive Compound Butter
Tarragon, Mustard & Chive Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (salted), softened
- 2 Tbsp dried tarragon
- 1 tsp mustard powder (I use Penzeys)
- 1 Tbsp dried chives (I use Penzeys)
- 1/2 tsp roasted garlic powder (I use Penzeys)
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Mix ingredients thoroughly with a hand mixer on high speed. When incorporated, roll into a log and wrap in parchment paper. It will be ok in the refrigerator for 1 week. For longer-term storage, freeze in a freezer bag and take out as needed.
Notes
Other Ideas for Preserving Herbs
Some other things we do with our fresh herbs when they are in season:
Dehydrating Herbs
The main thing we do with our herbs at the end of the garden season (before it freezes) is to just dry them. It works well to cut off what’s left of each herb in a big bunch, tie it together with some twine, and hang them to dry.
Freezing Herbs
You can also chop fresh herbs of your choice and lay them in an ice cube tray. This works well if you have part of a bunch leftover from the supermarket that you aren’t going to use in time, instead of tossing them in the compost bin. Cover with olive oil and freeze. I like to use a silicone ice cube tray for freezing herbs, it makes it really easy to pop the cubes out (I also use this for freezing tomato paste when we open a can and don’t use it all.) Once frozen, remove from the silicone tray and put the cubes in a freezer bag. It’s the perfect portion to mix into pasta or finishing oil for pan-fried chicken, etc.
Tarragon Dijon Mustard
I love mustard, and I made several kinds this winter for holiday gifts (and myself.) I shared all of the kinds I made in this Mustard Mania post. One of the kinds I made was inspired by this recipe for Dijon Mustard. Per safe canning guidelines, you can add dried herbs to your canning recipes, so I added dried tarragon. I was on a quest to replicate some amazing mustard I enjoyed at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix several years ago. The result was amazingly delicious if I say so myself.
Mint Extract
We have mint in our garden, and for anyone who may not know, it totally takes over its area and spreads like crazy. So, if you have mint, you never have a shortage of mint. One fall, I made some Mint Extract. It was a fun process!
Peruvian Green Sauce
In the early summer, our garden is filled with volunteer cilantro. Loads of it. Last year I discovered the Skinnytaste Peruvian Green Sauce, and we fell in love. I can’t tell you how many batches of this sauce I made while our garden was full of cilantro. I also made a HUGE batch and froze it in small containers for the freezer, so we could enjoy it after the cilantro was done. It is our favorite sauce.
Share with the Chickens
When we have extra dried herbs, we share them with our chickens in their coop. This primarily ends up being sage and mint, but we just dry the extra and as we refresh their bedding, give them a handful of herbs too. It’s really good for them. If you don’t have the means to grow and dry your own herbs, Fresh Eggs Daily makes this great Coop Confetti that your chickens will love!
Some of these ideas, as well as others, can be found on this Pinterest Board if you would like to check it out.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my tour of herbs! There are plenty more options out there for preserving with herbs, I just shared with you some of our favorites. Please share your feedback in the comments below, and let me know if you make any of the compound butter combinations I’ve listed!
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I love your tour of herbs..and..it has given me some inspiration to do a little something of my own. I purchased a basil plant at wal-mart a couple weeks ago and started it off by snipping off the tops so it would put our some new growth, which it is slowly doing in my cool window sill. The air dried snips are going to be used today! Thanks for the wonderful ideas.
I love the idea of preserving fresh herbs! I’ve not long purchased some herb seeds from our local gardening centre and am looking forward to being able to pick my own. I can’t wait to try out these recipes!
El x
Awesome! I love growing herbs. It’s so great in the summer to be able to just go out and snag whatever it is you need for your recipe. 🙂 You will love having them around!