Sunday, October 6, 2019

This is the end...

I was very busy tidying up the garden.  I harvested seeds, put away garden decorations, dug up glads and geraniums, pulled the corn and pumpkin vines.  I spread sluggo around the beds.  Hopefully, it puts a dent in the slug population.  Next year, I will be ready for them.  While puttering around, I couldn't help but think of that Doors song, "this is the end, this is the end my friend."  Not only am I hoping it is the end for the slugs, but it is supposed to snow this week.  It also was the last entry in my garden journal.  
Kelly gave me the journal our first Christmas in the cabin. For seventeen years I've documented my projects, plants, the weather, and life in general.  Many an entry was made over coffee on the porch.  I have a new journal ready to go.  I was eager to start using it, until I started writing on the last page of the old one.  This is the end my friend.
I also picked a peck of peppers.  They are perfect roasted.  I cut them up and discarded the seeds.  I drizzled them with olive oil.  I added salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Then I broiled them for 5 minutes, shuffled them around, and broiled for another two minutes.  I let them cool, laid them in a container, and froze them.  Perfect peppers.

Besides drying many of my herbs, I love the olive oil method of preservation.  I take an ice cube trays and fill it with minced garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, and chives.  Pour olive oil over the top and freeze.  These are perfect when browning meat.  I love to use herbs when cooking.  I only have one cube left out of two trays from last year.  I dried mint, chamomile, lavender, basil, rosehips, sage, oregano, and parsley.

Do you use herbs often?  What is your favorite way to preserve them?  Have you had snow yet?  Here is hoping you have a warm week.

5 comments:

  1. I do like to use herbs. I tend to freeze them when I have an abundance. Snow already it doesn’t seem long since you last had snow.

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  2. Good of you to journal the garden. I have tried but get "busy" and forget so have not even tried the last year or so. I love herbs - use them daily. I store mine dried in my old blue canning jars. Have you ever grown savory? It's delicious. Oh and isn't home grown chamomile good- it just takes sooo many of those little flowers!

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  3. I love your garden journals. Your roasted peppers are gorgeous and I'm sure they are just as delicious. I dry a few herbs every year from my garden. Yay, for getting so much accomplished before the snow. I hope there will be pictures!

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  4. Amazing idea with this journal, you were leading it so long! Maybe you can write more about it? I would be really interested in how you provide information there, if you make labels or are these just notes. I am also impressed about this method with preserving herbs in ice cube trays. I have many herbs but I try to use them fresh. I only frost parsley. This is my favourite one https://gardenseedsmarket.com/leafy-parsley-festival-68-seeds-petroselinum-crispum.html which I use while cooking very frequently. It is perfect for soups or sauces so when I need it, I just add it frozen and it defrosts very fast.

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  5. That is a lovely idea (the peppers in the freezer!) I must clear away some of the junk in my freezer.
    We have had one snow day. Yesterday the temps were close to 80 degrees. Crazy. I have been drinking more hot drinks so I guess I'm feeling the cold. Take care, Bonnie!

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