COLUMNIST: KAREN STEWART-RUSSELL
My favourite way to store herbs is to dry them and make my own herbal teas. Once I have harvested my favourites, I wash them and arrange on an oven tray. I set my oven to the lowest possible temperature (mine is 50 degrees centigrade) and keep the herbs in there until they are completely dried and crisp but not burnt.
I store them in single herb jars so I can make my own tea blends depending on what I feel like when I am making a cup. Remember to label them as once they are dried, most of them look pretty similar.
My favourite herb for teas is lemon balm but I also recommend mint, lavender, and chamomile. When you are ready to make a herbal tea, use roughly a teaspoon of herbs per cup and steep in boiling water for a few minutes. Pour through a strainer into a cup and you are ready to enjoy your cuppa.
Another very easy and handy way to store herbs is in ice cubes. Wash and finely chop herbs, then add them to ice cube trays, and top up with water. Once they are frozen, tip the cubes into a plastic bag or box and label before putting them back in to the freezer.
It is a great idea to make up blends which get pressed into service for pasta sauces. My favourite contains basil, oregano, marjoram and a few chives which is so fresh and tasty when added to a sauce or pizza base.
Thyme, chives, and parsley are perfect to pop into a soup or add to bread dough. Lemon balm and lavender make a fabulous and very pretty addition to a gin and tonic or sparkling water.
Herby butters are another hit in my house. The current favourite is thyme and chives as it seems to go with everything and adds a beautiful pop of flavour and flash of fresh green to dishes.
It is so simple but effective, I just soften the butter and add washed and patted dry, finely chopped herbs, mixing well. I wrap the butter in greaseproof paper and roll and shape it into a cylindrical shape, or as close as I can get. Once the butter is shaped, pop it into the freezer to firm up a little, then slice it into the portion size you want and put it back into the freezer until needed.
Take it out in advance and let it soften up if you would like to spread it, or just add it straight to vegetables, rice, or any other dish that you fancy and melt it just before you plate up.
And last but but by no means least, I really enjoy making an all natural cleaning spray for use around our home. It is so cheap to make and a great way to make sure you are using as much of your herbs as you can - it does not even matter if the herbs have slipped past their best and are looking a little sad.
All you need is a large jar, herbs, basic white vinegar, and a spray bottle for the finished product. You can add citrus peel to your mix but I tend to stick to herbs as I just love the gorgeous scent of them.
You can choose any herb but thyme, lavender, and lemon balm are my favourites as they are anti microbial. Basil is a useful addition as it repels flies - my current mix uses lime basil and it smells so good! Mint is also great to add a lovely fresh kick.
All you do is add herbs to the vinegar in a jar and leave them to steep for around 4 weeks, then strain it and discard the herbs.
To use, dilute the vinegar with an equal quantity of water and fill up a clean spray bottle. The vinegar really cuts through dirt and grease, and with a tiny drop of washing up liquid is fantastic for windows. Due to its acidic nature, it is not good to use it on wood or natural stone and I always do a test patch before I use it on anything new.
It gives you a real scent of summer and saves a fortune on expensive cleaning products. It is more eco-friendly and I find it does not make me cough like shop bought products often do. It is much safer around small children but please do check that the herbs you use are suitable if you have pets.
I hope you find some of these tips useful and enjoy using herbs year round.
Karen Stewart-Russell lives in the heart of rural Fife. Passionate about the mental health benefits of gardening, she shares the joy of growing with her local community through her over the garden wall seed, plant, and book library.
Karen has a relaxed, wildlife friendly garden, full of flowers. She is a huge fan of roses, as well as a great lover of herbs, and their use. Follow Karen's gardening on Instagram.