How to store fresh and dried thyme at home
Thyme or thyme is a fragrant shrub with dark green leaves. The bush attracts many insects or bees with its wonderful aroma. Those who are going to grow this spicy herb on their site need to know how to properly store fresh thyme at home. This plant is of great value due to its life-giving properties. It is believed that this fragrant plant has magical powers, capable of driving out evil spirits.
Storage features
Before you start storing the spice, you must dry it properly. If you make blanks without observing the rules, then mold may appear on the thyme. They make the preparation of thyme for the winter like this:
- The selected thyme is scattered on metal baking sheets, on which paper is laid in advance.
- The workpiece is covered with gauze, which acts as a natural barrier against dirt particles.
- The finished blocks are sent to dry in a cool place.
- During drying, the fragrant thyme is turned over so that the shoots do not rot.
Also, fragrant grass is dried in large bunches. The period for complete drying of the plant is 7 days.
It is good to store dry seasoning in glass jars, cardboard packaging, convenient linen bags in a dark dry place. It is not recommended to use polyethylene containers, since they are airtight, spoil the dried grass, evaporate it inside. With strict observance of all the nuances of storage, the fragrant herb can be stored for 2 years.
Storing fresh thyme
Fresh spice is used to prepare various meat dishes, poultry and fish.
There are several ways to keep thyme fresh:
- The spice is placed in sealed polyethylene, stored in a refrigerator away from the freezer. Do not fill the bags too tightly, the shoots should be free. In this way, you can store fresh thyme for 7 days.
- Arrange fresh stems so that there is free space between them. The glass container is closed with a tight lid. The thyme will be as fresh as if it had just been plucked within 3 weeks.
Before laying, fragrant thyme is sorted out, but not washed.
Drying at home
When dried, fragrant thyme does not lose its properties, a significant part of its healing qualities is preserved. At the same time, it is important to perform drying according to the rules so that mold does not appear. Here are some guidelines for drying thyme:
- The drying room for scented thyme must be well ventilated.
- To lay out the selected shoots, choose a piece of dense fabric, a tray or sheet of tin.
- A layer of paper is spread on the prepared surface.
- A layer of gauze cloth is placed on top of the spread out shoots to limit the access of insects to dust particles.
- Fragrant thyme is dried from 3 to 5 days, the temperature in the room should not exceed +35 degrees.
The end of drying will be indicated by darkened shoots, the leaves become tough, brittle in the hands. So easily you can dry your favorite spice for the winter.
To speed up the primary drying of thyme, experienced herbalists use an electric dryer to do this. For the result to work, one condition is met - the device should not heat up above 35 degrees... Thorough drying takes place on the upper shelves of the appliance. An electric dryer will help dry the thyme in 8 hours.
But the oven is not suitable for drying the plant, since it is difficult to control the drying temperature here, even if the device is electric.
Freezing a plant
Before freezing, the fresh plant is thoroughly washed and dried with paper towels. There are several options for freezing fresh thyme:
- The stems are sealed in plastic bags, which are placed in the freezer.
- The plant is crushed, placed in an ice mold, filled with purified water, placed in a freezer for freezing. Ready cubes with thyme are removed from plastic containers and placed in a container for long-term storage.
In this form, frozen thyme is stored until spring. The thawed spice is used immediately, since it instantly loses its valuable properties.
Salting culture
Winter salting is another easy way to preserve thyme for 8 months. For this, fresh thyme leaves are finely chopped, sprinkled with salt. We spread the crushed plant in a jar or ceramic container. Containers with chopped thyme are stored in the refrigerator.
Canning in natural oil or vinegar
The spice is preserved in oil. Thyme oil is made, which is then used to relieve pain, relieve fatigue, and rinse the mouth.
Prepare the composition as follows:
- The washed spice is thoroughly dried in the sun.
- Grind in a mortar.
- Place the herbs in a saucepan with butter (8 ml of coconut oil), cook the mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes until bubbles begin to form.
- Pour the cooled mixture into a glass container, store in a cool place.
Fresh leaves can also be prepared in wine vinegar and olive oil. To do this, fresh leaves are passed through a meat grinder. The composition is placed in a jar, fill it with oil so that the herbs are covered with a layer of 7 cm. Natural oil prevents the appearance of unwanted mold during storage. Ready-made thyme in meat will serve as an excellent addition to any dish. It is often found in popular meat marinades.
