Harvest woodruff at the right time
If you have a stash of woodruff dry or freeze so you should be on the right time for that harvest respect, think highly of. In principle, the woodruff can be used throughout the entire season, but it increases from the Heyday in April and May the amount of coumarin contained in the leaves. Since this is not only responsible for the typical woodruff taste, but also in the event of an overdose can also cause liver damage, the dosage of woodruff harvested later should be extremely sparing be.
also read
- Waldmeister profile - important information on cultivation and use
- Woodruff himself propagate and harvest
- Growing woodruff yourself from seeds
The different types of drying
For the harvesting and further processing of woodruff, it has proven useful to always tie a few cut stalks together in a bundle. You can then dry the stems and leaves in different ways:
- Hung upside down in a well-ventilated place
- in the oven at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius with the oven door slightly open
- in a special dehydrator
When drying in the oven and in the dehydrator, you should pluck the leaves from the stems, because bound woodruff bouquets would possibly stick together and not evenly dry. However, so that the dried woodruff does not lose its intense taste, you should not dry it for too long. When properly dried, the leaves still have a pale green color and can be stored in screw-top jars or cans until they are used.
The enhancement of the taste when drying
In contrast to many other herbs, the woodruff does not have its greatest taste and smell intensity fresh. As a side effect of the Preserve the contained coumarin is broken down if you let the woodruff wither for at least a few hours before using it for maypole, woodruff rice or woodruff syrup. If you do not have the time to do this, you can alternatively just put the woodruff in a freezer for a short time. Freezing the leaves briefly has the same effect and makes the taste even more intense.
Tips & Tricks
When hung in a dry place in the house, the woodruff gives off its pleasant scent for at least a few weeks. Shake the hanging bouquets a little every now and then so that all areas are equally well ventilated and can dry evenly.
WK
The garden journal freshness-ABC
How can fruit & vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh as long as possible?
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