In the Garden ~ Drying Herbs

 

    One of my favorite items we grow in our garden happens to be herbs.  There are so many great varieties and options available, it can be a little overwhelming, but the reward is great.  Since we happen to grow so many I wanted to really focus this year on preserving and using my herbs in as many ways as possible. 

 

Parsley, sage and lavender

               We will often use fresh herbs in the majority of our cooking, especially certain breakfast items.  The herbs really give it the “fresh from the garden” flavor that we love and cherish.  Recently I’ve been reaching for my dry herbs more often and wanted to share ways to save herbs for future use. 

 

               Preserving herbs to maintain the most flavor and a natural state, would be drying.  There are four ways to dry your herbs.  Air dry, dehydrator, oven drying, and microwave.  I will briefly touch on all three and you can decide which is the best method for your time and energy.

 

               Air drying is probably the most natural way to dry herbs.  After collecting and washing, you gather your herbs into small bundles and tie them off with string or a rubber band.  Make sure your stems are long enough to hang.  Then in a cool, dark and well-ventilated area hang your bundles upside down.  You need good air circulation for this to work effectively.  In a few days time up to a week later, you can check your herbs for dryness by seeing how easily they crumble.  Once dry, remove them from the stems and store in an airtight container.

 

               Dehydrator drying of herbs is very similar but probably a bit faster than hanging to dry.  Wash and dry the herbs then place on the trays in a single layer.  Set the device to 95-110 degrees and follow any instructions from the manufacturer.  Again, the herbs are dry when they crumble easily. 

 

               Oven drying again starts the same as a dehydrator. Wash and dry and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake at the lowest temperature 180 degrees for 1-2 hours.  Check for dryness and store in airtight containers.

 

               Microwave drying will vary by microwave brand and how many herbs you are drying at a time.  This can be a little more involved because you will need to check your herbs more often to test when dry and will most likely be working in smaller batches based on the size of the microwave.  You will place the herbs on a microwave-safe plate or paper towel.  Cover with another paper towel and microwave on high until dry. 

 

               If you are like me and want to have a combination of herbs at the ready and in it’s own container look no further than a mixture of Herb de Provence.  This kitchen staple is great for a multitude of dishes and is made up of rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, marjoram and lavender.  You can also find varieties with fennel seeds as well.  To make this great mix add in 2 tablespoons of each herb except for fennel seeds which is just 1 tablespoon worth.  Mix in a bowl and then store in an airtight container.

               Another great mix to have on hand is Italian seasoning.  The basics in this flavorful mix are basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.  Use a one-to-one measure to fill your vessel and close tightly.  Additional herbs you can add to this jar would be sage, fennel, or event garlic powder.  Which can also be made at home.

 

               Herbs are great fresh and dried.  We hope that you will take some of your herbs and dry them for future use.  The more you use the more you will have, especially since they will “shrink” when dried.  Just know that drying herbs is a great way to cut back your herbs to encourage new growth.  We hope you will take the time to save for the future and use what you grow by drying herbs.

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Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Gin Sage Paloma

 

    What a month it has been, and I felt like it might never end.  Why does January always seem to take so long to come to its conclusion?  At long last we have made it and now it's time for another new herb infused cocktail from the Oaks Bed and Breakfast, by the Tipsy Oak Lounge. 

    We did a twist on a classic Tequila drink and made it with Gin instead and let me tell you it does not disappoint.  The sweet and sour of the grapefruit mix well with the Gin in this paloma to make a smooth and refreshing drink. 

    The one thing I think I will do differently from my video is make my simple syrup a sage infused simple syrup.  Sage has a great smokey flavor and with just muddling I did not feel that alone brought it out enough.  However, adding it to the syrup would do wonders, along with a little more grapefruit juice.  A one-to-one ratio on the grapefruit to Gin I think would be best.  This is going to look like a little more juice or less Gin.  

Gin Sage Paloma

1.5 ounces Gin

1.5 ounces Grapefruit juice

1/2 ounce sage simple syrup

Splash of Club Soda or Sparkling Water

In a shaker cup muddle some sage at the bottom.  Fill with ice.  Add in all liquid except Soda or Sparkling Water.  Give it a good shake.  Pour into a salt rimmed glass, top it off with Club Soda or Sparkling Water, and garnish with grapefruit slice and sage. 

    This is a great drink to have on any day of the week and can of course be made into a mocktail by excluding the gin and adding more Sparkling Water.  Be sure to stop by the Tipsy Oak Lounge to enjoy your herb infused cocktail.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver. 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Sparkling Sage Pear

     

    Fall is by far my favorite season, and I can hardly wait for it to kick in, here in Sulphur Springs, and around the state.  All the festivals, food, and fun that can be had in fall; let's not forget the cooler temperatures.  Plus, the colors of fall are just so warm and inviting, they make you want to sit around the campfire and tell stories, roast marshmallows, or enjoy a fall cocktail.  

    October's cocktail is full of fall flavor.  Sage, and pears, really come into their own in the fall season.  One of the last, non-citrus family fruits to ripen on the tree are pears.  With multiple varieties grown around the globe, pear can be used in so many different applications.  Pears can be baked and eaten with a touch of cinnamon.  Made into a crip to enjoy for dessert or breakfast.  We chose to use the pear this month as a highlight to our cocktail of the month.  

    We blended up fresh pears, to make the pear nectar for this drink.  The fresh pears give it a heavier, more full feeling, and it holds on to the flavor longer.  We also used sage as our herb this month, because of the woodsy, strong flavor the herb lends to the vodka when infused.  There is no specialty liquor that has sage in a bottle, so you must make your own on this one.  If you want to make this drink at home be sure to plan ahead.  

   To infuse your vodka, cut some sage and place it in a jar.  Fill the jar so that the sage is fully covered.  Tighten the lid and place it on a windowsill to speed up the process.  The vodka I used sat by the window for about a week before I made my cocktail.  Depending on how strong you want the sage flavor to be, will be determined how long you let it sit.  

    This recipe also calls for ginger simple syrup.  Just like always one to one on the sugar to water ratio, add in your fresh chopped ginger and a tablespoon of lemon juice, to a pot on the stove.  Let all the sugar dissolve and the mixture heat up.  It's as easy as that to bring our the ginger flavor for this drink.

    Sparkling Sage Pear

3 ounces Pear nectar

2 ounces Sage infused vodka

1/2 ounce Ginger simple syrup

1/2 lemon

Sparkling water or ginger ale

    Combine all the ingredients, except for the sparkling water, into an ice filled shaker cup. Shake it up  well.  Once completed, pour into two iced filled glasses, and top it off with sparkling water.  Garnish your drink with slices of pear and sage.  

    Of course, if you do not want to make this drink at home you can always stop by the Tipsy Oak Lounge located at the Oaks bed and breakfast and order one, or two.  This drink can also be made without the liquor, and into a delicious mocktail for everyone in your group to enjoy.  As always drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

Sage Germain Sour ~ Herb Infused Cocktail

    

    Hello and welcome back to our herb infused cocktail series, a new month has arrived and with it we have a festive drink to share with you, that dovetails a wee bit with the holiday that comes mid month.  In honor of St. Patrick's day we have selected an Irish Whiskey based drink to make with one of the herbs currently growing in our garden.  

    Upon a recent visit to Ireland, my husband and I toured the Teeling Irish Whiskey distillery in Dublin.  I kind of  had to twist his arm to go, because we are not personally whiskey drinkers but we both loved the tour and subsequent tasting, so much that I wanted to feature their whiskey in our drink, instead of another well known Irish Whiskey.  We really enjoyed our tour and even brought home whiskey to share with friends and family.  The tour was well worth the visit!

    

    This cocktail is unique in that it also uses a liquor that is derived from the Elder flower.   St. Germain is an artisanal French liquor that can be used in other cocktails, which we might feature at a later point.  Over here at the Oaks we are big fans of the elderberry, which grows from the elder flower, and has a myriad of medicinal uses and has been known to help reduce the amount of days a person is ill, while having the flu or a cold, when taken as elderberry syrup. 

    The herb we are featuring this month is sage.  Sage is well know in cooking of game birds, sausage and items roasted in the oven for a long period of time.  The slow release of heat, pulls the flavor from this herb, and brings a wonderful taste to the food.  There are a few different sage varieties one can plant, and they typically have beautiful purple flowers when in bloom. 

    We are using sage in two different ways for the cocktail, one is in the honey syrup and the other is fried, and placed as a garish.  The Honey Sage syrup is easy to make:

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup water

3-5 destemmed sage leaves

Put everything into a pot and and cook until the honey is dissolved.  Once dissolved let it cool and sit over night before mixing into the drink.

    Now for the main cocktail.  For most Irish whiskey cocktails you want to use small batch whiskey, it's going to give the drink a stronger flavor and help add to the taste of the overall drink.  The honey sage syrup and St. Germain help the curb the bite of the whiskey in this particular cocktail.

2 oz Irish Whiskey

3/4 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz Honey Sage syrup

1/4 oz St. Germain

Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.  Strain into a glass and add some fresh ice.  Garnish with the deep-fried sage leaf.  Enjoy!

    We hope that you will try our latest herb infused cocktail.  Be sure to let us know if you happen to try this drink.  Tag us on social media and remember to always drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

    Slainte