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The aromatic herb lovage (Levisticum officinale) is suitable for seasoning various dishes and can be easily preserved. This article explains how the herb is frozen and what needs to be considered.

In a nutshell

  • Surplus crops can be frozen at any time
  • Stocking up is worthwhile in May or June
  • the cabbage can be frozen in bunches or chopped
  • it keeps for about a year in the freezer

To harvest

You can cut off leaves for fresh use. For freezing or other preservation methods, the lovage is harvested in May or June, at least before flowering. Then the herb is at its most aromatic. The harvest day should be dry and warm, the best time is late afternoon.

Clean

If the leaves are to be eaten immediately, it is sufficient if they are checked for contamination. To preserve, rinse the leaves thoroughly under running water. Then they sort out the herb and sort out obviously diseased, withered or eaten leaves. Then let the remaining leaves dry.

Freezer bags and freezer boxes

It doesn't matter which variant you prefer, the only important thing is that freezer boxes should close tightly. If you want to freeze the fresh lovage in freezer bags, you can pre-freeze the leaves spread out on a baking tray. This makes it easier to portion them later.

whole leaves

The leaves can be placed in the freezer as is. This also works with leftovers after seasoning. Simply put the leaves in a suitable container and seal it. Label it with the contents and the freezing date and place it in the freezer.

chopped

To make food preparation faster, lovage leaves can be cut into small pieces before freezing. Using a sharp kitchen knife, chop them into small pieces that are easy to use later to flavor dishes. You can place the chopped leaves in freezer bags or in ice cube trays like whole maggilea leaves. So they are already properly portioned. Fill the ice cube trays with a little water to make it easier to remove the herbs.

Tip: Fill the frozen ice cubes into freezer bags and label them with the contents and the date.

herbal blends

If you already know exactly which herbs you use to season your dishes, you can freeze the fresh lovage together with other herbs. Cut all selected herbs into small pieces and put them in ice cube trays. Pour some water on it and put it in the freezer. After the cubes have hardened, you can transfer them to freezer bags, separated by food.

Notice: When labeling, don't forget to write which dish the herb mixture is suitable for.

Examples of herbal mixtures:

  • with chives, onions and parsley for salad or herb butter
  • with chopped greens for soups
  • with marjoram, chives and parsley for potato dishes

durability

If kept tightly sealed, the herb will keep for about a year. If you create a sufficiently large stock, this will last until the next harvest of fresh lovage.

use

Frozen lovage does not need to be thawed before use. You can simply add it to the warm dishes, but then don't let them cook for long. For cold dishes, wait until the cabbage has thawed before serving. This is especially true for herbal cubes with water. When freezing, be careful not to put too much water in the ice cube trays so that the food is not watered down later by the addition.

frequently asked Questions

Are there other ways to preserve fresh lovage?

In addition to freezing, there is also the option of drying maggi herb. For this, it is hung in an airy, dry and moderately warm place. After it has dried, it is stored in a tightly sealed container.

What is maggi herb used for?

Soups, salads or stews are seasoned with the fresh or preserved leaves. Meat, fish, potatoes or eggs also benefit from the aroma of Maggi herb.

Where does lovage grow best?

Since the herb grows very large, sufficient space in a sunny spot in the garden is necessary. It's hardy and doesn't need shelter in the cold season, so there's no need to keep the Maggi herb in a container. However, it is easier to keep in check in the pot, as it tends to proliferate.

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Vegetable garden