Garden herbs can spice life in winter

When the annual flowers are looking a bit sad and the tomatoes have long since become a tangled mess of vines, it’s time to get the garden cleaned up.

It was wonderful picking fresh herbs to combine with our favorite vegetables, but even though most of the tender vegetables will meet an untimely end with the first frost, our herbs can live on in a few different forms.

Annual herbs such as basil and dill need to be dealt with first. The basil has gone to seed, and the soft seeds can be used in concert with the leaves. One way to preserve the plant is by drying it. This works with most herbs.

For basil, pull the whole plants out of the garden, remove the roots and tie the plants together. Hang them upside down in a cool, dry place.

After a week or two, strip the leaves and store them in an airtight plastic bag or a glass jar. This won’t duplicate the taste of fresh basil, but it will still be very useful in the kitchen. It’s great for seasoning fish, meat, poultry, soups and stuffing.

To try to preserve that truly fresh flavor, freezing will get you as close as possible to the idea of the garden. Basil stems and leaves can be frozen whole in freezer bags, then thawed and added to dishes.

Another way to use wonderful basil is to chop the leaves and combine them with a little olive oil to form a paste. Freeze this paste in ice cube trays and use it as seasoning in a wide variety of dishes, including soups, stews, sauces and pasta.

Use the hanging technique to dry other herbs, including sage, oregano and thyme. Plants with seeds, such as dill and fennel, can be dried in paper bags to make sure everything stays together. Dried herbs can be stored in small, airtight jars and sprinkled on recipes as needed.

To keep the fresh taste coming, herbs that have been grown outside can be brought inside to survive winter on the windowsill. When choosing a pot for each herb, try to choose the largest size that will fit comfortably near a window.

The larger the pot, the less it will need watering. Fill it with a good planting mix, not garden soil, which is too heavy. The planting mix can be found at any good garden center or even in the garden department of a big box store.

Combine the mix with some water in a separate tub and get it moist but not soaking wet. When each pot is three-quarters full of mix, take it out to the garden so that it is nearby as you dig up the herbs. It’s important to try to limit the time plant roots are exposed to air.

Dig the herbs in such a manner that they will fit in the pot with room to spare. That way they will grow into the pot over the winter months. Push the plants gently down into the pots and make sure the planting mix covers the roots. They should be set in pots as if they were growing in the ground, no deeper. Water the plants and bring them inside to their new locations.

Windowsill herbs are most often killed with kindness, meaning too much water and fertilizer, so be careful with both. Water only when the soil is dry, and fertilize at half strength through the cold, gray season.

When the plants are first brought in, treat them with an organic product called insecticidal soap. It’s nontoxic and will kill insects and their eggs.

Once spring arrives, start fertilizing at full strength, but take your time when taking the plants back outside. Since they’ve been living in a dimly lit, arid environment, they will need a week or so to make the transition to the harsh world of the outdoors.

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