Lovage grows quickly and can be harvested several times during the gardening season. These large harvest quantities are difficult to use up immediately. It is therefore advisable to preserve the lovage. Here are the best ways to preserve them.
Freeze lovage
One method that is less recommended, but is unknowingly often implemented, is to freeze lovage. Since lovage is extremely tender, freezing will make it mushy and tasteless.
If you still want to freeze the maggi herb, chop it roughly beforehand. Then put the herb in plastic freezer bags or cans. Now it's ready to freeze. Alternatively, the lovage can be chopped up and placed in ice cube molds. You can later easily portion these into the soup, among others.
Dry lovage
Arguably the best and safest method of preserving maggi herb is to dry it. Ideally, the herb will dry within two days. This is how it preserves its aroma.
That's how it's done:
- Harvest the lovage with the stalks
- Tie the stems together and hang in an air-dry and dark place
- or: Spread out on an undyed paper or sheet and let dry near the heater
- or: dry in a dehydrator at 40 °C
In addition to the stems and leaves, the roots can be dried well. They are first cut into pieces. After drying, the plant parts are placed in a glass or other sealable container.
Soak the lovage in oil or vinegar
Another method is pickling in oil or vinegar. The essential oils are absorbed by the oil and vinegar. The aroma is perfectly preserved. For oil preservation:
- Chop the lovage
- Place in a sealable glass bottle with the salt
- if necessary add other ingredients such as garlic
- Pour oil (suitable oils e.g.: rapeseed oil, olive oil, walnut oil) and close
A similar procedure is followed for the vinegar preservation. After the maggi herb has been pickled in vinegar, it should be removed again after two weeks. Then the vinegar took on the aroma. During this waiting time, ideally put the whole thing in a warm place.
tips and tricks
Dried lovage should not be crushed or ground into a powder. As a result, the herb oxidizes more quickly and is less flavorful when used in the kitchen.