Carrots and Herbs

My carrots really took off the past couple of weeks. Although I planted them early, they just seemed to take their time growing this summer. I think it was just too cool and rainy at first, but now all at once they are ready. I have been periodically pulling a few out here and there but they were always too small and underdeveloped, now they look like carrots on steroids! I have had good luck in the past with Touchon carrots, a french heirloom variety, so I tried them again this year. Looks like we will have plenty for soups and stews this winter. Carrots keep very well following the methods used for beets and other root vegetables.

Touchon Carrots

 

It is another beautiful day before a showery weekend. A perfect day to pick herbs from the herb garden and begin the drying process for winter usage. My herb garden did really well this year, although I did lose a thyme plant, a dill plant, and a sage plant to poor drainage. Too much rain and poor drainage didn't make for happy herbs and they didn't survive, but the rest of the herbs did beautifully. I only entered a few herbs in the fair this year, parsley, rosemary, lavender, and sage. All received blue ribbons to my delight.

 

The best time to pick herbs for drying is mid-morning after the dew has dried off of them. Find a dry spot to hang the herbs out of direct sun. I dry mine in my attic on a large wooden clothes drying rack. Hang the herbs in bunches using a rubber band, string, or a twist tie. A drying screen, such as a window screen, works perfectly to dry leaves and sprigs of herbs that cannot be bundled to dry. A piece of cheese cloth or muslin placed under the herbs on the screen works nicely. Herbs dry pretty quickly when denied moisture. They are ready when they are totally dry to the touch. Put the herbs in labeled jars (with the name of the herb or herb mixture, and date) and store in a dark cupboard until ready to use. They should remain potent up to one year.

I will be drying parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, lemon verbena, mint and marjoram. Next year I am hoping to plant several chamomile plants so that I can dry the flowers for tea, a remedy that always helps my husband when he has an asthma attack.

Keep in mind to only use half of the amount of dry herbs in recipes calling for fresh herbs. Dry herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs.

The Herb Garden at The Farm at Mill Village