Fresh Spring Oregano - Does it Have Special Preservation Needs?

[Bart]

Right now, my oregano is very soft and tender and the leaves are very big.  It looks and feels completely different than it will later in the season. 

Should I be doing something special with it in this delicate state?  Is there any way to preserve it for later use other than drying?  It's so tender and soft it seems a shame to just dry it. 

[DonRocks]

22 minutes ago, Bart said:

Right now, my oregano is very soft and tender and the leaves are very big.  It looks and feels completely different than it will later in the season. 

Should I be doing something special with it in this delicate state?  Is there any way to preserve it for later use other than drying?  It's so tender and soft it seems a shame to just dry it. 

"Once you pluck, you're out of luck." -- Johnny Cock

(I actually don't know this to be true; I just thought it sounded funny.)

If you don't get any answers, maybe you could separate it, and try several different methods of storage, seeing which one works best. Seriously though, is it not best to leave it on the plant until you need it, despite it losing that youthful vigor as time passes?

Hell, maybe it freezes for all I know, though if I were to try this, I'd try to maximize contact with air, instead of making direct contact with something *really* cold, such as aluminum foil - maybe put it in a bocal? Can an oregano plant be damaged by frost? If so, maybe this isn't the best idea. Although maybe it's the iced dew that damages the plant, rather than merely the cold air. Oregano seems like a fairly dry herb, so it may not contain much moisture inside that can freeze and damage it.

Or maybe you could store it at room temperature in a de-oxygenated container - the kind of storage vessel that has all the air vacuumed out of it? I have several friends who have these machines that vacuum-seal bags for freezer storage, and love them.

[Bart]

35 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Seriously though, is it not best to leave it on the plant until you need it, despite it losing that youthful vigor as time passes?

Yes and no.  Fresh off the plant is obviously the best, but later in the season it starts to flower which messes things up a bit. 

I don't think I've ever paid close attention to how the plant changes as the season progresses.  The leaf size now looks a lot bigger than it does later in the season when it's flowering.  Do the leaves shrink as the summer heat comes?!?!!?  Does the flavor get more intense as the leaf size diminishes?!?!!  Does the leaf size actually diminish or is it a faulty memory?!?!?

I'm going to try to track the changes this season, but it's highly likely I'll forget check it until it's too late! 

[farmer john]

First leaves are bigger because the plant is putting all its energy into making them. Leaf size diminishes because the plant is putting most of its effort into flowering. Most herbs have most intense flavor just when they begin to flower.

[farmer john]

Oh yeah- drying is going to be your best option. If you choose to freeze it i would do it in some oil (which you may or may not want when time comes to use it).

[Bart]

Thanks John! 

Should I hold off until July or whenever I see flowers starting to form to harvest for drying?  No sense harvesting tender leaves with little flavor, right?

[farmer john]

21 minutes ago, Bart said:

Thanks John! 

Should I hold off until July or whenever I see flowers starting to form to harvest for drying?  No sense harvesting tender leaves with little flavor, right?

that would be my thought. use it fresh until it gets ready to flower- than cut back hard and dry.