Lemongrass, which comes from Asia, is becoming increasingly popular as an exotic spice for food and drinks. Whether you harvest it yourself or buy it from the supermarket, you only need two or three sticks of the delicious Asian spice for most recipes. Then the question arises: How is lemongrass stored and preserved so that the fine flavors are not lost?
Storage in the refrigerator
Unneeded lemongrass will keep in the fridge for several weeks. Cut off any brown spots and wrap the culms in newspaper or place the stalks in a cling bag. You can store lemongrass in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for about a month.
Preservation by freezing
If you would like to preserve a larger quantity of home-grown lemongrass, you can easily freeze the aromatic stalks. Both the whole stalks and lemongrass that is ready to cook can be frozen. You should shock freeze whole stalks spread out on a baking sheet. This way the stems don't freeze together and remain easy to portion. Sliced lemongrass is frozen in portions in the ice cube maker. You can store the Asian spice in the freezer for up to six months.
Dry lemongrass yourself
Unfortunately, lemongrass loses a lot of its fine flavors through drying. You should therefore only dry the spice if you have no other storage option.
- Cut off the dark green parts of the stems.
- Gather the remaining 10 to 15 centimeters into small bundles and hang them up.
- Alternatively spread the culms on a grid; it dries a little faster.
- Dry the lemongrass in a warm, dry, dark place.
- Finely grind the dried stalks in a mortar.
- Pour the powder into tinted, tightly fitting containers.
A heaped teaspoon of ground lemongrass has the same flavor as a fresh lemongrass stalk. Soak the powdered lemongrass in hot water for a short time before use. Add the Asia spice to the food along with the soaking water so that the fine aromas can develop well.
tips and tricks
Lemongrass tastes pleasantly fresh but never dominantly sour. So that the character of the recipe is preserved, you should never replace lemongrass with lime peel or lemon juice.
The garden journal freshness ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
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