Preservation of herbs

  • Erstellt am 2008-07-07 22:17:44

Maier GmbH

2008-07-10 23:42:07
  • #1
Hi sennor!

So about the herb butter:
You can finely chop herbs of your choice, chives, parsley, thyme, garlic, marjoram... are all well suited. You can theoretically use any herb for it. Only tough plant parts are probably less suitable. You can either mix the herbs or make a pure garlic butter. Let the butter soften, so take as much as you want to make. You can chop the herbs or put them in the blender. How finely you chop it also depends on your taste. Once you've done that, mix the finely chopped herbs well with the soft butter. Then put everything in the fridge. You can either use your own containers so the butter also gets a nice shape, or use cellophane. It's up to you.

RECIPE EXAMPLE:
5 garlic cloves
1 splash of lemon juice
1 sprig of thyme
3 tbsp parsley
2 sprigs of marjoram
1 bunch of chives
1 butter
pepper and salt

I wish you good success!
Garden design :)
 

senor

2008-07-11 21:07:36
  • #2
Hello!

Hey, that recipe sounds really good! I will definitely try it out now. It’s not that much work, and you can do a lot with the butter: whether just spread it on bread, or for grilled meat... etc.

Thanks again!
sennor ;)
 

Maier GmbH

2008-07-12 16:52:07
  • #3
hi,
here is something about soaking in alcohol. There are several options: e.g. the herbal wine or the herbal tincture:
- HERBAL WINE: You put 1 handful of fresh herbs into 1 bottle of dry and good white wine. You put the herbs into a bottle that should have a wide neck and pour the wine over it. Then let it steep for a good 2 weeks. You should shake it daily.
- HERBAL TINCTURE: A tincture is an alcohol extract from one (or several) medicinal plants. You mix about 50g of a dried medicinal plant with 250g of 70% alcohol. Use ethanol spirit! This is poured into a clean glass, well sealed, and left to steep. Depending on the type of plant, it takes from 5 days to 6 weeks until the tincture is ready.
Tinctures are used externally, for rubbing in, or internally, but only dropwise!

Best regards,
Gartengestaltung
 

senor

2008-07-18 19:57:11
  • #4
Hello!

Thx for the detailed explanation! How is an herbal liqueur actually made? Recently, I visited friends where I tasted a wonderful herbal liqueur. Now I wonder if the production process is similar to that of wine made from herbs.

Best regards,
sennor :)
 

Gartenbauer

2008-07-20 04:15:10
  • #5
Hi senor!
Arnaldo von Villanova brought the technique of distilling alcohol to Europe from a crusade in the 13th century. He soaked herbs in alcohol to extract the active ingredients. The two basic techniques of liqueur production are called distillation and maceration. To make these plant extracts taste better, he sweetened them with honey. Liqueurs were made only in monasteries and pharmacies for a long time. Herbal wine is the predecessor of liqueur. Today, you can buy all kinds of liqueurs, whether Sambuca or egg liqueur, at any supermarket.
Herbal liqueur recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh ginger
1.5 tsp cloves
Cinnamon
2 tbsp lavender flowers
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp fresh sage
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup lemon balm
4 bay leaves
1 cup water
2.5l vodka
Preparation:
Chop the herbs with the water in a blender. Then add the vodka. Pour everything into bottles and place them in a warm spot for about 6 weeks. At the end, filter it.
Best regards,
Gartenbau :)
 

Maier GmbH

2008-07-20 04:28:46
  • #6
Hi!

Herbal liqueurs must have an alcohol content of at least 15% by volume. Unlike bitter liqueurs, herbal liqueurs usually have sugar added. The recipes are often very secret and are not shared. There are still monasteries today that produce herbal liqueurs based on very old and secret recipes. Liqueurs stimulate digestion and also appetite. A well-known German brand is Jägermeister. It contains 56 different herbs and has an alcohol content of 35% by volume. I have another recipe here:

Ingredients:
Chamomile, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, basil, 1l 96% grain alcohol, the peel of one lemon, 1kg sugar, and 1kg water.

Preparation:
Wash the herbs, put them in a jug, and pour the grain alcohol over them. Let it steep covered in a warm place for 14 days. On the 12th day, add the lemon peel. The sugar is cooked with the water into syrup and then mixed with the herbal extract. Let it steep for another night, then filter, pour into bottles, and cork them. It’s best to let the liqueur rest for 2 months!

Best regards,
Garden design :)
 
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