Growing herbs yourself and then preserving them ready for cooking is not only fun, but also provides culinary variety. Thyme in particular can be preserved in many different ways - and goes well with many dishes, not just Mediterranean ones.
dry thyme
Drying is probably the most common way to preserve thyme. But be careful: In contrast to other herbs, the thyme aroma intensifies many times over as soon as the leaves are dried. Therefore, you should use dried thyme more sparingly than fresh. Harvest the whole thyme stalks with leaves and flowers, tie them into small bunches and let them dry in a warm but dark place. Sunlight only ensures that the valuable essential oils evaporate. Once the thyme has dried, simply pluck off the leaves and crumble them. You can then store the spice in a screw-top jar.
Freeze Thyme
Thyme also freezes well. To do this, pluck off the fresh leaves, wash them and then pat them dry with some kitchen paper. Now you can chop the thyme as desired. To freeze, fill the chopped thyme into a suitable container, for example a small jar with a lid, a freezer bag (not very suitable for removing smaller quantities later) or simply in an ice cube tray. The herbs can easily be stored in an ice cube or freezer.
Make herb cubes yourself
Herb cubes are also very practical: Harvest fresh thyme and other herbs to taste (e.g. rosemary, oregano, lavender, basil, marjoram, lovage), chop them very finely and mix them with a little olive oil. You can also add very finely chopped garlic and diced onions. Freeze this mixture in portions in small ice cube trays. The herb cubes refine many dishes such. B. pasta sauces, stews and stews.
Put thyme
Pickled thyme is not only practical, but also very pretty to look at - perfect as a homemade gift or souvenir. Liquids such as vinegar, olive oil or honey are suitable for this, but salt is also suitable. Put a few sprigs of fresh or dried thyme (or other herbs of your choice) in a sealable glass container and fill it up with vinegar or oil. Leave the mixture to infuse in a cool place for a few weeks. The herbal oil or thyme vinegar is wonderful for refining dishes and salads or for roasting.
tips and tricks
Try making herbal salt yourself. Add thyme and any other herbs you like, chop them very finely and mix them with sea salt in a ratio of 7:1. Pour the mixture into resealable containers and store in a cool, dry place. By the way, thyme salt is great for seasoning fried potatoes with.