You can purchase green onions, parsley, cilantro, chives, basil, thyme, oregano, mint, dill, garlic and garlic scapes among others herbs at the markets. Culinary herbs not only add flavor to food, but also provide a concentrated source of micro nutrients. Buy them fresh in season from and preserve them for year-round consumption.
To eat right away, either keep them in the fridge in a closed container, or put the stems in a small vase with water as you would with flowers, and keep on display on your dining table for a few days.
Herbs can be dried by suspending upside down in a warm dry room, or using a dehydrator. Once dry, keep in closed jars at room temperature for months. Crush them only at time of cooking. Some herbs can be preserved in oil. Then both the flavored oil and the herbs are consumed.
Most herbs can be frozen, whole or sliced. The easiest way to freeze them is to put them in ice cube containers and cover them with water. They are then ready to use in small portions.
Note that garlic that is fresh out of the field should be treated like a vegetable and kept in the fridge. Later in the season, you can buy garlic that has been cured (whole plant dried), which will keep for months at room temperature. Garlic scapes (the garlic flowers) keep several weeks in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. So add some spice to your life and enjoy fresh, dried, frozen herbs.
