larry_stewart
Master Chef
And here's a good episode on Growing A Greener World, that you might want to see:
Mason Bee Revolution
I will, thanks.
And here's a good episode on Growing A Greener World, that you might want to see:
Mason Bee Revolution
I have a bay tree that's over 10 feet tall and I dry the leaves before using them because evaporating the water out of them intensifies the flavor.As for the curry leaves, once I got the plant growing well, I really had no reason to save the leaves that I trimmed - why would I use dried leaves, when I always have fresh?
I'm surprised you're able to keep a bay laurel healthy in your climate.GG, I have a bay laurel plant, too, and I dry some of those, but use some fresh - the flavor is different, for sure, but both are good. Sage is another like that, with one of the two major flavor components being more volatile, and much of it is lost, giving a different flavor, but both good. And IMO, oregano, and other Origanum species I've grown, seem to taste better dried! Thyme seems as good dried as fresh. Rosemary and mint are OK dried, for some things, but they lose some of the flavor that is only in the fresh. But the curry leaves, kaffir lime leaves, basils, epazote, tarragon, cilantro, parsley, and a number of the other Asian herbs I've grown, simply aren't like the fresh, once dried, IMO. I can't believe they still sell some things dried, with them available fresh almost everywhere!
One method for saving herbs, with a nearly fresh flavor, is salt layering. Just put a layer of leaves in a jar, sprinkle a layer of kosher salt over them, then put 3 or 4 more layers on it, repeating, until you use them up. I used to do this with epazote and tarragon, and the first year growing the curry, when a lady I knew gave me a bunch of her plant.
My issue with the curry plant is that it has a near death experience each year. I just don't have any good sunny windows in the house where I can put it, and thee artificial lights work with some of my plants I bring in, but not the curry . So I figure, if this thing starts to produce, I can dry them for use over the winter and colder months.