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Ask Ger-Nis
Question: I like to have fresh oregano around as we tend to eat and cook a lot of tomato based pastas in the winter, but my oregano always seems to last only a day or so and then it turns black. What should I do in order to make it last longer?
Answer: A common misconception about herbs is that basil is the only herb that likes warmth. We have found that oregano also likes warmth but with a different twist; oregano likes to be very dry as opposed to wet. We recommend wrapping your oregano in paper towels and storing it in the upper door of your refrigerator. The paper towels will absorb any moisture. We also recommend only washing your oregano just before you use it.
Question: Sometimes at our local farmers market we see a lot of herbs with flowers on them. We have always thought that flowers altered the flavor of herbs, but we are still intrigued by herbs with flowers because they look so beautiful. Can we use them and, if so, how?
Answer: You are correct. Herbs that are flowering are in a mature stage. Maturity can change the taste a bit depending on the herb and the extent of flowering. In general, flowering herbs can be a very lovely addition to your cooking repertoire. Keep in mind that basil, cilantro, dill, and most of the annual herbs tend to get very bitter when they are flowering. Although we tend not to eat these herbs when flowering, they can be eaten and they do have a place, it just requires a little more creativity in the kitchen. On the other hand, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, marjoram, and sage are lovely to cook with when they are flowering, and they tend to keep their basic flavors. We love using flowering herbs in our salads, sauces and vinaigrettes as well as butters, cream cheese spreads, or dips. We will, however, note that although it is possible to find flowering herbs all year round we mainly see them in the summer time.
If you have a produce or herb question for Ger-Nis, please email us at and we will answer it in the next issue of Herb Blurbs. Thank You!