Organic from the balcony: Grow your own herbs and spices
drying and processing
The key to drying is that the taste is retained. This works best in the air. The herbs should be harvested before the start of the flowering phase, preferably when it hasn’t rained for a few days. The herb stalks are tied together and hung at room temperature in a well-ventilated room. Drying usually takes between 24 and 48 hours. Alternatively, many herbs can also be frozen, especially if used in cooking. However, chopping it up later can be difficult. An insider tip for this are so-called grinders, which are normally used to crush cannabis. These are handy little cylinders in which plant material can be ground particularly finely and evenly. Zamnesia has listed a top 10 of the best grinder models, cheap models are available from around 10 euros. Once dried or frozen, the herbs can easily be stored for several months. Of course, they should be protected from direct sunlight and ideally kept in airtight containers.
Popular Varieties
Some herbs are a must because they are an integral part of Mediterranean cuisine. These are basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano and marjoram. They are used in a variety of recipes, including pasta sauces or meat dishes. Sage is also easy to care for and versatile. It is used in meat and fish dishes, but can also be drunk as a tea. Of course, dill and parsley should not be missing for German cuisine. Dill is particularly good in salad dressings, and parsley is a good addition to almost any soup. Incidentally, there are also some exotic spice plants that thrive on the balcony: for example lemongrass, which should be placed indoors for the winter.
herbal blends
Of course, you can also put together your own herbal mixtures with the local spice harvest. Herbs from Provence, which incidentally are not used in cooking in Provence, are mixed with oregano, rosemary, savory, thyme and basil. An Italian herb mix can be quickly conjured up from rosemary, oregano, sage and thyme. And the herb garden also produces more exotic combinations such as the Brazilian cheiro verde. All you have to do is combine chives, parsley, coriander and mint. And of course there are plenty of other recipes worth trying out.