Tidbits from the Herb Garden

The Summer months can get quite warm here in New England and all the herbs around my yard start to truly thrive this time of year.  Above is one of my herb gardens, the one that chocolate mint has decided it loves.  You can see some of the mountain mint in the back growing incredibly tall, cola in the front, bee balm, and several others. 

I know many of you have gardens that you are working with as well this year.  Earl and I have been really getting into canning and drying throughout the years as things need to be harvested at different times and you don’t necessarily want to eat five pounds of tomatillos all at once.  As many of you know we love to do a lot of natural gardening as I like to call it.  The chocolate mint is happy there so I’m letting it take up more of my original herb garden. I can’t complain.  It’s playing nice with some of them.  I have a pathway next to it though that I don’t want it on as we do need a place to walk.  It’s also growing in other areas that sometimes I find myself needing to pull some from.  It happens for sure. Usually, I just prioritize those for teas that I will use immediately but you can dry herbs at any time during the year and store them.  I’ve found that storing them in mason jars works best. 

In my travels reading the other day I came across a photo of someone drying herbs on an old laundry rack.  I haven’t seen one in such a long time. 



This one is different than the original one I saw but it shows you the idea.  You can hang so much on this!

I also found them on a ladder! I love that idea.  I don’t have a house that would work with a ladder like that but I think it’s a great idea.

Both are alternatives to hanging them on all my cabinet doors as I’ve been running out of room.  It’s a good thing.  I also love my dehydrator that I told all of you about last year.

It was such a huge help last year.  When you dehydrate herbs it does an amazing job drying them and makes the house smell amazing as well. 

Don’t forget you can also use a lot of different herbs to make vinegar flavored with herbs.  You remember that I have shown you chive blossom vinegar. You can see that article here: https://jasmeinemoonsong.com/chive-blossom-vinegar/   You can use the same technique with other herbs like rosemary, basil, garlic.  Just add them fresh to a mason jar with white vinegar and give them a week or two for the flavor to set in.  So much fun.

I hope that you are having an amazing Summer!

Much Love and Many Blessings,

Jasmeine Moonsong