If There Was Just One More Preserve You Need to Make…
I had planned to write about something different from this but dinner just changed everything. I was happily plodding away on a tomato sauce to add to homemade polenta when I reached into the fridge, pulled out a jar I haven`t touched since August and cracked it open. I dipped a spoon into it`s depths, tossed it`s contents into my sauce and gave it a stir. I waited a moment and then had a taste.
Suddenly I was back in August.
Herbes Salées are standard kitchen fare in much of Maritime Canada. I`ve cooked with commercially made salt herbs but never with the real deal. Tonight was the first time I used our salt-cured herbs out of the fridge. Like most things, homemade is in a league of it`s own.
The herbs pack all of the flavor (if not more) than they did in the summer. Compared to plastic packages available in the modern grocery store – well, there is no comparison. Their flavor has penetrated the salt and the small brine they`ve been stewing in (it`s not exactly liquid but the flavors have marinated). When the salt and brine mixed with our sauce, the flavors of the fresh herbs exploded through the entire pot.
Making salted herbs can take as little as 10 minutes; we did 2 liters (almost a half-gallon) in about 30 minutes.
I was on a mission to get people to make these last years – and that was before the results. If you haven`t made these before, you really need to put them on your to-do list for next year. These will change our entire cuisine this winter.
What`s something that you make that you think others NEED to start making?
Comments
Would love to know how to make this. Love the thought of herbs from the garden in Winter.
Hi Erin,
We hid a link in the post above; here’s an easier way to find it:
http://wellpreserved.ca/2011/08/16/herbes-salees-salt-herb-preserve-recipe-and-how-to/
Let us know how it goes!
Since I started making it last year, I couldn’t live without kimchi. This spicy korean mixed fermented vegetable medley is just the thing to warm up cold winter nights and add a huge zing to summer salads. Longer you leave it, the better it gets!
Christina, I haven’t made it yet and Dana LOVES it – I think I may create a monster once I do. Really need to get on that.
J
I tried it – my coriander (cilantro) smelt like old grass – I threw it away – was I not patient enough?
Lynley, what a shame. The short answer is that I don’t know – haven’t encountered that before. Perhaps more salt or a finer chop would have worked or ensuring that the salt is dsitributed through the jar. I’ll take a look around and see what I can find – if I find something, we’ll share a post of tips…
Sorry that it didnt’ work out though – encourage you to try again and we’d love to hear how it goes or if you have any idea on what turned wrong?
Maybe this one is a no brainer, but there is no excuse for purchasing salad dressing in a bottle. Even if it’s organic. Even if it’s all natural. Even if it’s studded with gold flakes. It takes the same amount of time to squeeze a lemon and drizzle on some olive oil as it does to open the bottle of Kraft. And if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, whisking together a little mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil takes less time then getting in to your car, driving to the grocery store and picking out some of the bottled stuff! Say no to bottled salad dressing!
That was way more of a rant then I intended it to be! I’m just really passionate about making salad dressing!
Amanda I adored your rant! We need more salad dressing rants, I’m with you on that one – really love your passion for salad dressing!
Amen!!
Sauerkraut! So easy, so good for you, so cheap. There’s no negatives. Except if you don’t like sauerkraut…… We made 7.5 litres this year. Should last us through to next summer.
Agreed Chris, love it. Where do you store it or do you can it?
I am a firm believer (read: fanatic) about homemade stocks. Making stock is really so simple and stock you can make at home is superior in quality to what you can buy – plus you get to control the ingredients. Today I put nine quarts of stock in my freezer that I made using the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving and vegetable scraps that I collect in bags and keep in the freezer. Add some water, simmer, strain, freeze. Done.
Tugs, you’ve really got me pining for a deep freeze. Honestly I never considered what it would do for my stock – we go through so much of it (I always have some in the fridge) and can’t imagine pressure canning the amount that I need. About half our stock is homemade but I can see with a freezer how this would almost instantly change to 100%. Now to try to find the space…
Joel, have you ever tried doing reduced stocks? I tried it this year with great success. I’ve reduced some by as much as an 8:1 ratio (meaning a 2Tbsp ice cube has all the flavor of a cup of the original stock). Much easier to fit in the freezer that way.
Cultured garlic! It’s so easy and the taste develops through-out the year in your fridge. I often just use the vinegar brine in sauces.
Great one Christyna – I love anything garlic.
Could I do this with thyme and rosemary? They are still going strong in my garden. I wish I had put up more pears and peaches. But the weather was so odd this year with the heat I am happy I was able to put up what I have.
Knitplaywithfire, I don’t see why not. There are different combinations considred classics but I wouldn’t let that stop me from experimenting with this one.
Herbes salées in Québec are a staple I’ve learned we can’t do without. Home made salt herbs in my mother-in-law’s family usually have plenty of summer savory, which doesn’t dry particularly flavorfully, as well as finely chopped carrots and onions. Toss a spoonful in with new potatoes or use a bit to season a soup our stew. Yum.
Helen, you are so right – the carrots and onions are indeed a classic combination for this, especially in the Easter Townships. Summer Savory is so popular in the east coast compared to here – glad to have found another salted herb lover!
Very curious about this too. I’d be afraid that it’d turn into a slimy mess. So please post about this next summer
And I second the motion for home-made salad dressing.
Erin, this was our first attempt at making and it’s devine – not sure why it became slimy for others but will do some reading and see what I find out…
Love the passion for salad dressing here!
Hmmm. Where to start? Most simply, cutting up and freezing fresh fruit in its prime, maybe a tomato sauce at summer’s end (it can so easily be frozen!)…On the ‘cultured’ side there are 2 essentials – creme fraiche (*sighs with delight*) and kombucha… (the kombucha will change your life and your health!)….
Great suggestions Adrienne – we don’t have a deep freezer but I really think it would change our life and our kitchen… Alas, until we have more space…
Please, please, please tell me in July that I need to make this in August. Because I will believe you!
Tata, we’ll do our best.
By then we’ll have a new way to navigate the site so you can find things seasonally – been working behind the scenes for the last few months – more details will come soon. 
Mmmm… I had this one in mind and never quite got to it. I’ve still got some potted basil that’s come inside, and parsley and dill growing outside. Maybe I’ll still need to do it.
Val, if you do, let us know how it goes – I just love it…
Just started it, finally. I only did about a cup since that’s what I had available, but all of the herbs were homegrown except a few celery leaves I had in the fridge. I’m excited.
I’m also amazed with the success I’m having with basil which was started outdoors as a houseplant. I wouldn’t have expected it to do so well with lower-light indoor conditions.
Mayonnaise. Seriously. Why don’t more people make it? It’s so easy and tastes so much better!
Rachel,
I’ve have a few mayo disasters. It’s something I have a bit of a Midas Touch (as in the bad way) at making. You’re inspiring another go at it – I will make it happen this time! J
I’m still a firm believer that everyone would enjoy tomatoes that much more if they canned them theirselves…just the ritual of making tomatoes gets everyone in our house excited….diced, halves, quarters, whole, sauce, tomato jam…..mmm just can’t get enough of fresh Ontario tomatoes from our local farmers…..
OOooo! I have tried to put up my herbs before but didn’t think of adding salt, topped them with oil but was not satisfied – they keep in the fridge but the flavor pales.
Will certainly try this! Thank you for the recipee!
[...] (who has a blog named Kale for the Revolution – check it out) who posted a comment back in December; Joel, have you ever tried doing reduced stocks? I tried it this year with great success. I’ve [...]
[...] any other way. Like I shared in November, if you haven’t made this before, put it on your must do list for next [...]