Do you use herbs that died?

[taxlady]

I'm talking about herbs that were growing on a plant at your home and died. For example, I had a pot of dill growing in my kitchen, but it died. It just dried up. Would you use those dry dill leaves? Are there some herbs that you would do this with and others you wouldn't? E.g., I think think that sage or thyme would work, but I wouldn't bother if it was basil.

I have saved herb leaves like that, but I haven't used them. I'm always a little concerned that there might be a health/safety reason not to, that I don't know about.

 

[Marlingardener]

Cutting herbs and hanging them to dry is the same of having herbs that dry up on the plant. The only herb I wouldn't use dried, either hanging to dry or off the dead plant is parsley (dried parsley tastes like grass).
If the plant wasn't infested with insects nor with mold or other obvious disease, go ahead and use it.

 

[Kathleen]

Taxy, I have used some that have dried up. Especially those like dill where mold/mildew have not been able to touch. For others, I intentionally dry them....but I cannot imagine it not being okay if it simply dried.

 

[blissful]

If they are drying out, like said above, just keep drying them out.

If they were moist, dying from fungus or mold, disease on the leaves, those types of things, then I probably wouldn't use them.

 

[pepperhead212]

Like others said, if they just died from drying out, I would use them, and not worry about it. Only a few I dry on a regular basis - marjoram, Syrian oregano, and sage, and just a small amount of the mints.

 

[thymeless]

I disagree that using them from dried out is the same as drying them. Generally is a plant struggles it will withdraw nutrients into the roots and its core so that it can relaunch itself.

If I cut and dry something it cannot withdraw nutrients anywhere.

So it is my opinion that the flavorful ingredients if I cut herb are more likely to remain in the herb then if it dries out and dies.

We had a lot of snow cover this winter and my rosemary (arp--hardy in zone 5)died back a lot during that time. It wasn't especially cold. I'm theorizing that it was from the soil drying out instead of having it rewetted from snow and melt and snow and melt.

The branches were still flexible as though they were still moist but the needles had all turned brown and died. Those still flexible branches still haven't shown any growth.

 

[larry_stewart]

When something like that happens to me, I just pinch a bit off, rub between my fingers and smell it. As long as it smells like it should, I use it. But as mentioned above, if infested with bugs or some kinda fungus or disease, toss it.

 

[dragnlaw]

I ditto Larry. Rub some in your fingers to check the proper smell. Works for me.

 

[taxlady]

I disagree that using them from dried out is the same as drying them. Generally is a plant struggles it will withdraw nutrients into the roots and its core so that it can relaunch itself.

If I cut and dry something it cannot withdraw nutrients anywhere.

So it is my opinion that the flavorful ingredients if I cut herb are more likely to remain in the herb then if it dries out and dies.

We had a lot of snow cover this winter and my rosemary (arp--hardy in zone 5)died back a lot during that time. It wasn't especially cold. I'm theorizing that it was from the soil drying out instead of having it rewetted from snow and melt and snow and melt.

The branches were still flexible as though they were still moist but the needles had all turned brown and died. Those still flexible branches still haven't shown any growth.

Yeah, rosemary needles on a dying or drying up plant are unattractive and don't look like they would taste good. I was wondering similar things about the possibility that the plant might take stuff out of dying leaves.

 

[taxlady]

This was a small plant that I bought to use. It was grown hydroponically and sold with its roots in a small peat pot (~1.5"x1.5"x2.5"). They are sold with the herbs and labelled "fresh dill". I kept the plant in a glass with some water and the pot. The plant looked good for a couple of days, then it started to get floppy and the leaves started to get dry. They look just like dill leaves that you dry on purpose. I was hoping to fresh dill a bit longer. So, I'll give them a try. The whole plant dried up at the same time, so even if the plant would normally suck nutrients out of the leaves, I think it's likely that did not happen in this case.

Thanks everyone for answering and giving me stuff to think about.

 

[dragnlaw]

perhaps the stem was damaged in transition somehow -
But you can definitely use the dry dill. Rub heartily in your palms to extract the scent and oils when you use them.
I had a rosemary plant that dried like that. I harvested some of the leaves and used a mortar & pestle to grind them down - dried rosemary can be hard and prickly, not something I want to find on my food. Worked fine - the flavour and scent was good. I'm not looking for nutrition in my herbs, just a scent and taste.

 

[blissful]

@dragnlaw you might not be looking for nutrition in herbs, but maybe consider it as important.

TABLE 2.3, Antioxidants in Herbs and Spices - Herbal Medicine - NCBI Bookshelf

Herbs and even more so spices have antioxidants in them, more so than many basic vegetables and fruit.

A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many diseases (including heart disease and certain cancers). Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. The protective effect of antioxidants continues to be studied around the world.

I'll take them where ever I can get them!

 

[dragnlaw]

Yes, bliss, I knew that there is a variety of goodies in them, it is just not on the top of my list when I discover I don't have an ingredient that is needed for my recipe! Not going to jump in the car and run around looking if I can make do with something maybe not quite up to par but acceptable.
Grinding is (of course) an extra step. I also find you need a bit extra to get what you need. (plus a bit extra grinding!)
Just saying...

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I buy mine already dead.

 

[thymeless]

I wasn't meaning nutrition specifically. More that the plant wouldn't be using its resources making flavorful compounds.

 

[dragnlaw]

I buy mine already dead.

and so now we know...

 

[taxlady]

I wasn't meaning nutrition specifically. More that the plant wouldn't be using its resources making flavorful compounds.

I figure it's nutrients to the plants. They need it to make those flavour compounds.

 

[neikom729]

I'm talking about herbs that were growing on a plant at your home and died. For example, I had a pot of dill growing in my kitchen, but it died. It just dried up. Would you use those dry dill leaves? Are there some herbs that you would do this with and others you wouldn't? E.g., I think think that sage or thyme would work, but I wouldn't bother if it was basil.

I have saved herb leaves like that, but I haven't used them. I'm always a little concerned that there might be a health/safety reason not to, that I don't know about.

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