How to Preserve Lemon Grass

Lemongrass is a fragrant and subtle herb used in Asian cooking

Lemon grass is an herb used in many Asian cuisines. A long, stalky plant, it is usually crushed before use to release flavorful oils and scents. Lemon grass is used sparingly in cooking, so a little can go a long way. Here are two methods for preserving it for future use.

Things You'll Need

• Lemon grass Knife Zip top plastic bags Ice cube tray Oven

Instructions

Freezing Method

1. Cut off the outer leaves and top of the stalk. Remove the inner leaves and place in an airtight zip top bag and put in the freezer.

2. 

   Mince or puree the bottom 3 inches of the stalk until it is liquid.

3. Pour the liquid into small ice cube trays and place in an airtight zip top bag and freeze. Use one or two cubes at a time for Thai and Vietnamese dishes; you can add them directly into boiling water for rice or noodles.

Drying Method

1. Dry out lemon grass stalks by placing them in a 120 degree F oven for 2 or 3 hours.

2. Keep the oven door cracked slightly to let moisture out, and check the lemon grass frequently to make sure it is not getting singed.

3. Remove the dry lemon grass from the oven and store in an airtight zip top bag or a glass bottle or airtight herb container.

Tips & Warnings

• Dried lemongrass can be resuscitated in hot water in the microwave or simply added to boiling water for rice or noodles.

References

• Harvesting Lemon Grass
• Drying Lemongrass
• The edible herb garden By Rosalind Creasy