Lovage grows quickly and can be harvested several times during the gardening season. It is difficult to use up these large harvest quantities immediately. It is therefore advisable to preserve the lovage. Here are the most tried and tested methods for preserving.
How can you preserve lovage?
The best way to preserve lovage is to dry it or put it in oil or vinegar. When dried, the aroma and nutrients are retained, while essential oils are optimally preserved when pickled. Freezing is not recommended as it affects the taste.
Freezing lovage
A method that is less recommended, but is often implemented unknowingly, is freezing lovage. Since lovage is extremely tender, freezing it makes it mushy and tasteless.
If you still want to freeze the maggi herb, chop it up coarsely beforehand. Then place the herb in freezer bags or plastic containers. Now it is ready to freeze. Alternatively, the lovage can be chopped into small pieces and placed in ice cube trays. You can easily add these to the soup later in portions.
Drying lovage
Probably the best and safest method for preserving Maggi herb is drying. Ideally, the herb will be dried within two days. This is how it preserves its aroma.
How to do it:
- Harvesting lovage including the stalks
- Tie the stems together and hang them in an air-dry and dark place
- or: spread out on an undyed paper or sheet and let it 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 previously cut into pieces. After drying, the plant parts are placed in a glass or other sealable container.
Pick lovage in oil or vinegar
Another method is pickling in oil or vinegar. The essential oils are absorbed by oil and vinegar. The aroma is perfectly preserved. For oil preservation:
- Chop lovage
- place in a sealable glass bottle together with s alt
- if applicable add other ingredients like garlic
- Pour oil on top (suitable oils e.g.: rapeseed oil, olive oil, walnut oil) and close
The procedure for preserving vinegar is similar. After the maggi herb has been soaked in vinegar, it should be removed again after two weeks. Then the vinegar has taken on the aroma. During this waiting period, you should ideally put the whole thing in a warm place.
Tips & Tricks
You should not grind dried lovage or grind it into powder. This means the herb oxidizes more quickly and is less flavorful when used in the kitchen.
