June is the perfect month to start growing and harvesting herbs

June is Here! it is a great month for outdoor dining and gatherings. Try to add fresh green herbs to your grills, especially in the marination. Whether it is fish, chicken, meat, or vegetables, mixed herbs add fresh and exciting flavors.

Do you grow herbs in your garden, balcony, rooftop, or window sills? It doesn’t really matter as long as you follow the simple guidelines that I have prepared for you using my own experiences at home.

Choosing your favorite herb!

Choose your favorite herb(s), I personally grow rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, mint, and basil. Herbs play a major role in creating flavor without adding extra salt or fat, resulting in a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Having fresh and ready to go herbs will make you urge to start a herb garden. All you need is a sunny spot, supplies (boxes, pots, soil, plants, potting mix, etc.). Place soil or potting mix in a pot or box, add the seed or plant and water them regularly during the summer. Make sure they are placed in a sunny spot.

Pruning and care

Never cut more than a third of the plant and make sure it is cut with care as plants get easily affected by the way they are treated. Trim your plants with scissors instead of tearing them up using your hands. Kitchen shears or gardening scissors are a must-have!

Kitchen shears are so great, unlike regular scissors, you can use them to snip herbs, trim green beans, slice a pizza or mankoushe, and even for cutting up a whole chicken!! I use mine for practically anything, I cannot live without it. Tip: always wash your shears by hand and keep it in one place to ensure it is not lost among the garden shrubs.

Preserving your herbs

If you are unable to immediately consume or use your fresh herbs, you should still trim the plant and place the greens in the fridge for later use, or start a drying process and preserve the herbs for a longer time. The trick here is drying the herbs while sustaining good taste and color. The secret here is simple but very important. Follow the steps I below carefully for better quality dried herbs. This is exactly how I dry my Jahna’s mixed herbs product:

• The herbs should be gathered as soon as they begin to blossom
• Choose a warm morning to harvest your herbs, that is when the essential oils in the plants are most concentrated
• Herbs retain their virtue best when they are washed and dried from water in the open air outdoors for a while, then dried indoors in a shaded ventilated room, this will preserve the color!
• Bundle the stems together and hang them to dry in a dark and dry place or lay them on straw trays as I do because it is important that they have air circulating all around them to avoid moisture which will make them go bad.
• You can cover your herbs while drying outdoors with a netted cloth to avoid bugs and insects.

drying herbs 

washing and preparing herbs for drying 

Tip: If you have a small number of herbs that you wish to be dried faster, you can use an oven on low heat, until the herbs are dry. Be careful not to overcook or burn them!

Striping woody herbs

After a month or so and after your herbs are completely dried, striping the woody herbs are done a such:

Grasp the tip of the stem with two fingers, run your thumb and index finger along the stem, from top to bottom, against the direction of the leaves.

Tip: Use your dried herbs for flavoring your bread crumbs!! Goes well with, turkey stuffing, fish filet, chicken escalope, etc.

Oops! I forgot to tell you that I use the woody sticks as skewers for grilling especially the rosemary sticks…

Herbs for cooking should be pounded and labeled in jars or boxes, Jahna’s empty jam jars are a good idea !! #reuse #recycle

The simple tradition of making your own dried herbs to use all year round over many dishes and marinades is a delicious addition to flavor your meals. They are fun to make and would be perfect for sharing with family and friends as personalized, from the heart, gifts.

Homemade Pesto Recipe

Sharing my favorite homemade pesto recipe that you can make using your homegrown basils !!!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts

4 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 finely grated parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove

coarse salt & ground pepper (to taste)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

This is very easy !! Simply roast your pine nuts on low heat, be careful they burn very easily. Let them cool down completely. In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, cheese, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Process until finely chopped. While the machine is running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth.

(Makes one cup) increase quantities respectively to make more.

Enjoy!!

I will be sharing more gardening tips soon ! stay connected

Much love, Jahna