I may earn a commission if you click on links in this post and make a purchase.

Fresh herbs are one of the most amazing parts of gardening, be sure to preserve some for easy and delicious baking later.

You can amazing herbal cookies, breads, cakes, and more even when the garden is covered with snow with a little preservation effort in spring and summer.

These simple preserves are good for both savory and sweet baked goods for your home and even for gift giving straight from the garden any time of year!

Make Extracts

Put those fresh or dried herbs in some vodka or rum to make homemade extracts of numerous flavors. Make small batches for your own baking needs or consider making large batches and giving them away later to foodie friends.

The alcohol content will prevent spoilage meaning you can make that extract now and keep it in a dark cabinet until the holiday season comes in November. If you need a few ideas, check out these tutorials, but feel free to experiment with any herbs you have on hand – think anise hyssop, lilac, bee balm, rose, etc.

Use homemade extracts in the same way you would use commercial extracts as a flavoring to baked goods and frosting. Having homegrown extracts allows for more creative recipes and flavors later on.

Infuse Honey

Tuck some herbs into a jar, cover it with honey, and let it sit for a few weeks to a month. Strain the herbs and just like that you have flavored honey.

A jar of honey with lavender buds floating in it. A honey dipper and fresh stems of lavender surround the jar.

The infused honey can be secret baking ingredient, used simply to sweeten and flavor tea, used in lip balms, depending on the herb can be medicinal, and much more. Honestly, this is one of my favorite ways to preserve herbs. Here are a few creative ideas to make and use infused honey:

Honey is obviously a sweet ingredient but has a place in savory applications as well. Use the flavored honey in yeast breads for a hint of flavor, use it barbecue sauces, and in any recipe that calls for unflavored honey for an extra bit of homegrown flavor.

Flavor Sugar

Mix those herb leaves with sugar to create flavored sugars perfect for all your baking needs. This process is simple and can take advantage of most any herb you have growing in the garden.

5 frosted cupcakes sit on a plate with dried stems of lavender.

These are basic recipes that you can easily substitute the herbs – use rose, mint, lemon balm, etc.

Use the flavored sugar just like you would use any plain sugar in a recipe in a one-to-one substitution.

Make Compound Butters

Cream together those 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh herbs and 1/2 cup softened butter together for an easy preserve to freeze. Use these compounds butters for everything from lemon balm roasted chicken to mint chocolate chip cookies.

A swirled loaf of bread with herbs in the crust is seen from above. It sits on a board surrounded by fresh herbs.

Again, basic method substitute herbs for what you have hand and get creative with mixed herbs based on your favorite flavors.

Use compound butters as a 1-to-1 substitution for plain butter in any of your favorite recipes.

Dry Herbs

Drying herbs is an obvious method of preservation. It’s easy and doesn’t take up much room. Dry lots for your own baking needs and keep extras around for gift giving later. Dried herbs tuck nicely (and cheaply) into care packages and when packaged in pretty jars make for a great gift for local friends.

A row of herb bundles are tied to a string to dry.

They can often be put into baked goods or even used to infuse water or milk in baked goods for more flavor.

Be on the lookout this summer for interesting jars that can often be found quite frugally at yard and rummage sales. Need some new ideas for all those dried herbs, consider these recipes.

Make Herbal Salt

Simple herbs and salt can be used in most sweet and savory goods and more. Use herbal salt in breads, cookies, anywhere you add a bit of salt in a 1-to-1 substitution for an extra hit of herbal flavor.

A small white bowl sits on a checked cloth. The bowl is seen from above and contains herbs and salt.

So as those herbs start flourishing, get them back for multiple harvest and preserve them for homegrown baked goods later this year. You’ll be glad you did!

Sharing is caring!

5 Comments

    1. Use them up within a year. If they’re completely dry they’ll last pretty much forever in that they won’t spoil but their flavor will definitely fade after a year.

  1. These are great ideas, thank you so much! I always forget herbal salt but it’s so useful. We’re starting yet another new herb garden and yet another new homestead this year. I was feeling a little blah and uninspired since we seem to move so much but my teenager wants to build an herb spiral! Her enthusiasm has given me the boost I needed to get out there and get planting!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *