Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S

Steve YATES asks:

But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?


Fresh herbs are perishable, not meant to be stored more than a few days...
simplest approach is to only buy what you intend to use within that few days
window. Perhaps you can cook more.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

Steve YATES asks:

But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?


Fresh herbs are perishable, not meant to be stored more than a few days...
simplest approach is to only buy what you intend to use within that few days
window. Perhaps you can cook more.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

Steve YATES wrote:

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

My favorite is to wash, drain, wrap in paper towel to keep a few days.
Otherwise freeze coarsely chopped in water in icecube trays, then into
plastic freezer containers for longer storage. If presentation isn't an
issue, the taste is very nice and fresh. I made pesto today from last
fall's basil and it tastes great. I also freeze fronds of herbs for pickle
making on a cooking sheet and then place in plastic bags in freezer.
I've given up trying to preserve green onions tho. Now I just eat a
few and plant a few. I can buy radishes by the each, why not green
onions?
Edrena

Steve YATES wrote:

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

My favorite is to wash, drain, wrap in paper towel to keep a few days.
Otherwise freeze coarsely chopped in water in icecube trays, then into
plastic freezer containers for longer storage. If presentation isn't an
issue, the taste is very nice and fresh. I made pesto today from last
fall's basil and it tastes great. I also freeze fronds of herbs for pickle
making on a cooking sheet and then place in plastic bags in freezer.
I've given up trying to preserve green onions tho. Now I just eat a
few and plant a few. I can buy radishes by the each, why not green
onions?
Edrena

Luckily I have 3000 m2 of garden for it to try and take over ! However
so far the nettles keep it down.


Am worried about the lemongrass plants that I put in last weekend,
from what I read on various websites, that is also something that
spreads. However same sites also said that cats like the small/taste so
have put the plants in separate beds hoping that the cats will miss at
least one !

S

Dog3 wrote:

Steve YATES deliciously posted in
:


Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S



You *really* don't want to plant mint in your garden. It is very invasive.

Michael

Luckily I have 3000 m2 of garden for it to try and take over ! However
so far the nettles keep it down.


Am worried about the lemongrass plants that I put in last weekend,
from what I read on various websites, that is also something that
spreads. However same sites also said that cats like the small/taste so
have put the plants in separate beds hoping that the cats will miss at
least one !

S

Dog3 wrote:

Steve YATES deliciously posted in
:


Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S



You *really* don't want to plant mint in your garden. It is very invasive.

Michael

In article ,
Steve YATES wrote:

Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S


Freeze them inside Ice Cubes, then bag them.

Either that or dry them, but that's just not the same....

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article ,
Steve YATES wrote:

Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S


Freeze them inside Ice Cubes, then bag them.

Either that or dry them, but that's just not the same....

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Steve YATES wrote:

Am worried about the lemongrass plants that I put in last weekend,
from what I read on various websites, that is also something that
spreads. However same sites also said that cats like the small/taste so
have put the plants in separate beds hoping that the cats will miss at
least one !

I saw lemongrass today, it reminded me uncomfortably of bamboo. To
say it's invasive might be a massive understatement. Stuff like that
you plant in a pot, as in bury the pot so the roots don't go
sqirreling around and taking over your property. Same with mint.

nancy

Steve YATES wrote:

Am worried about the lemongrass plants that I put in last weekend,
from what I read on various websites, that is also something that
spreads. However same sites also said that cats like the small/taste so
have put the plants in separate beds hoping that the cats will miss at
least one !

I saw lemongrass today, it reminded me uncomfortably of bamboo. To
say it's invasive might be a massive understatement. Stuff like that
you plant in a pot, as in bury the pot so the roots don't go
sqirreling around and taking over your property. Same with mint.

nancy

In article ,
The Joneses wrote:

Steve YATES wrote:

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

My favorite is to wash, drain, wrap in paper towel to keep a few days.
Otherwise freeze coarsely chopped in water in icecube trays, then into
plastic freezer containers for longer storage. If presentation isn't an
issue, the taste is very nice and fresh. I made pesto today from last
fall's basil and it tastes great. I also freeze fronds of herbs for pickle
making on a cooking sheet and then place in plastic bags in freezer.
I've given up trying to preserve green onions tho. Now I just eat a
few and plant a few. I can buy radishes by the each, why not green
onions?
Edrena

Green onions can just be served as a veggie by themselves. ;-)

While I usually mince them as a flavoring, you can also just cut them in
about 4" long sections and steam them, then serve with lemon butter.

They are delicious that way! I never waste those.

Do they do well planted? I'd like to get some going as my "wild" onions
do so well here. I have a couple of nice patches of Texas wild onions.
Those are delicious if harvested before they bloom.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article ,
The Joneses wrote:

Steve YATES wrote:

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

My favorite is to wash, drain, wrap in paper towel to keep a few days.
Otherwise freeze coarsely chopped in water in icecube trays, then into
plastic freezer containers for longer storage. If presentation isn't an
issue, the taste is very nice and fresh. I made pesto today from last
fall's basil and it tastes great. I also freeze fronds of herbs for pickle
making on a cooking sheet and then place in plastic bags in freezer.
I've given up trying to preserve green onions tho. Now I just eat a
few and plant a few. I can buy radishes by the each, why not green
onions?
Edrena

Green onions can just be served as a veggie by themselves. ;-)

While I usually mince them as a flavoring, you can also just cut them in
about 4" long sections and steam them, then serve with lemon butter.

They are delicious that way! I never waste those.

Do they do well planted? I'd like to get some going as my "wild" onions
do so well here. I have a couple of nice patches of Texas wild onions.
Those are delicious if harvested before they bloom.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article ,
Dog3 dognospam@adjfkdla;not wrote:

Steve YATES deliciously posted in
:

Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S


You *really* don't want to plant mint in your garden. It is very invasive.

Michael

Or you can plant it in a place where you don't care if it takes over. ;-)
I used to have a mint patch in the rose garden. It did well there, until
I got my BC. She trampled it all to death! sigh I'm planning on just
planting more in a very large pot now..... It does fine as a container
plant. Partial shade to full sun, lots of water.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article ,
Dog3 dognospam@adjfkdla;not wrote:

Steve YATES deliciously posted in
:

Am just getting into Thai cooking and so went off to an Asian
supermarket that is 15kms from office (60 from home) to get ingredients.
Cam back with basil, mint, lime leaves and lemongrass and had reasonable
success with first attempts at cooking. But my Q is, how best to keep
the herbs . It's too late for the Basil, that is already black, mint is
going same way and lime leaves are starting to curl.

It won't be a problem once summer (eventually) arrives as basil, mint
and hopefully lemongrass all flourish in garden but how can you keep
shop bought herbs ?

S


You *really* don't want to plant mint in your garden. It is very invasive.

Michael

Or you can plant it in a place where you don't care if it takes over. ;-)
I used to have a mint patch in the rose garden. It did well there, until
I got my BC. She trampled it all to death! sigh I'm planning on just
planting more in a very large pot now..... It does fine as a container
plant. Partial shade to full sun, lots of water.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra