Indoor Herb Garden, Part 2: Storage

This post is a continuation of an earlier post called, Indoor Herb Garden, More Than We Bargained For. Here is an update of our herb garden:

The gang of pesky little flies that accompanied our herb garden while indoors was too much to take, so we relocated it. It's now in a backyard in the sunniest neighborhood of San Francisco (if such a thing exists!! We finally saw the sun yesterday after a long streak of foggy-and-in-the-50's days.)

The herbs don't seem bothered though. Look how they've grown!

Thyme, basil and parsley... oh my! And the bug problem went away, thankfully.

Great Way to Store Fresh Herbs

Whether we buy herbs from the market or accidentally pick too many from the garden, here's how we like to store our fresh herbs to get the longest life out of them.

Holding the stem ends, rinse the herbs under water to remove any dirt, then shake the bunch gently to remove the bulk of the water. Trim the stem ends a couple of inches, up to where the useful leafy parts begin (just to save space later). Using paper towels (or dish towels), pat each stalk of herbs very dry; be thorough!

Then, lay a couple dry paper towels out, overlapping each other slightly. Arrange the herbs in a single layer with the stem ends along one edge of the towels. Fold the excess towel over the leafy ends of the herbs. 

Starting at one end, roll up the towel-wrapped herbs, and store in a bag or container in the fridge. They should last a week or longer.

Have you been growing your own herbs or other foods this summer? Have any storage tips to share?

Indoor Herb Garden, More Than We Bargained For.

Excited to get a jump on Spring, we planted an indoor herb garden about a month ago (ah, the urban life!) We buried organic seeds of basil, thyme, chives, and mache, watered about twice a week, and waiting in anticipation as a child-like wonder came over us.

Though a bit delayed, our seeds finally sprouted after a 20 day germination. The herbs bursted with tiny leaves... what a success!

However, as our seedlings continued to sprout and grow, so did an unexpected garden guest, the fruit fly. First one... then a dozen, where did they come from and how do we get rid of them?

I was put on this task and researched several 'green' methods for getting rid of our pest:

• trap them using a dust buster or vacuum with a hose.
• trap them using a bowl. Put a skinless piece of fruit or a splash of balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a tight piece of plastic wrap and poke holes in the plastic with a fork. Flies will fly in but be unable to escape.
• kill them using a mixture of 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water and 1-2 drops of dish soap in a dark bowl or mug. The cider vinegar will attract them and the soap will reduce the surface tension of the liquid and cause the flies to sink and drown. (If cider vinegar doesn't work, try soy sauce.)

Wish us luck! I will let you know what works for us.