the flavor has oozed into the oil. Herbs in oil
should always be kept in the refrigerator,
because the same absence of oxygen that’s
good for flavor preservation is also good for
the growth of botulism bacteria. The bacteria
don’t grow or produce toxins at refrigerator
temperatures.
Drying Fresh Herbs
Drying is a process that removes most of the
water in an herb, which when fresh may be
more than 90% water. The basic dilemma is
that many aroma chemicals are more volatile
than water, so any process that evaporates
most of the water will also evaporate most of
the flavor. This is why many dried herbs don’t
taste anything like the fresh version, and
instead have a generic dried-leaf, hay aroma.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, mainly
Mediterranean herbs in the mint family that
are native to hot, arid areas and have