How to Store and Use Herbs (Vegetable Gardening)

Herbs are the secret ingredient in many a fine recipe — from the most delicate gourmet dish to the heartiest of folk fare. Yet herbs are also among the easiest vegetables to grow, to use fresh, or to store for the winter. If you live in a mild climate, you can grow herbs year-round in your garden, in window pots, along walkways, or near doorways or patios. And if you live where winters get too cold for outdoor gardening, you can grow little pots of basil or chives indoors, and freeze, dry, or salt the rest of your herb crop. Dried herbs will keep for up to a year; frozen herbs will keep fresh for several months if properly wrapped and stored.
Herbs are popular in cooking not only for the way they enhance the flavor of many foods, but for the fact that they add no calories. If you’re on a special diet, herbs can add zest to those low-cal or no-salt recipes. For example, when cooking potatoes or rice, add a pinch of rosemary instead of salt to the cooking water to add a special flavor.