The Dollivers claim to have done all the gardening and harvesting and picking and wrapping and labeling and so on, and here they are, sitting on the little chest freezer newly installed in the kitchen and filling up rapidly, panting and holding their scissors and tape and pen.
I picked basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, peppermint, thyme, chives, parsley, and probably other herbs that escape me for the moment. Then I wrapped them in ziplocs, tightly, rolled each labeled one in a rubber band -- this is proving a great way of freezing so as to retrieve items -- and arranged the lot in a kind of cylinder so one band holds all the bags, and you just turn it to find the herb needed.
Not alphabetically, since my ocd doesn't run that far! I pretty much picked as I remembered where the herbs were, and bagged them the same way. But I did write the labels on scotch tape and stuck that on instead of labeling the bag directly. I have too many containers with so many crossings out as they're re-used that it's hard to tell if I'm opening squash or shredded zucchini or apple dice. This way I can take off the label when it no longer applies. Gosh, I'm clever.
Anyway, the Dollivers are proud of their expertise and made Greensleeves stay back in charge of the dogs in the D Kennels, since dogs are banned by them from freezer prep. G. was perfectly happy for a quiet afternoon for once, with just bears downstairs and dogs barking. And the Ds left their hats behind, so she's been trying on, but don't mention it to them. Elton also took the afternoon to practice a few chords and changes. I suspect he couldn't think of any songs that fitted with the freezing of the herbs.
You are clever about the labels! I have only recently decided (after ample proof) that I need labels on everything that goes into the freezer, without exception. One too many Surprise Meals! But I need to use different tape, because my blue painter's tape falls off my pyrex lids. Are you using ordinary scotch tape? And cab you get it off the containers later?
ReplyDeleteScotch tape or magic tape, doesn't matter. And up to now I've been able to peel them off at will. But it will be nice to know what I'm thawing out and not have a sudden cucumber surprise when I was thinking broccoli...
ReplyDeletemy comments don't seem to be going thru. this is a test
ReplyDeleteWell, that one did.
ReplyDeleteGreat. I have been messing about for a couple of hours just trying to find the problem. It looks like it fixed itself. Now if only I could remember all those amazing comments I've made which have gone into the mystery blogasphere.
ReplyDeleteNice to see the D's in service again and so smartly turned out.
The resident person-in-charge-of-that-which-enters-and-exits-the-kitchen chops up his herbs from the balcony 'garden' and puts them into ice cube trays - covered with water. Once they're frozen, he pops them into labeled bags ready for use with soups and such later on. Oh, and just because I could....the lyrics to 'Morning Song' by Jewel reference herbal tea. Not freezing per se, but close.
ReplyDelete