This is a final follow-up to my experiment freeze drying with dry ice. I rate it a dismal failure. It may be theoretically possible to freeze dry foods with dry ice, but it certainly is neither convenient nor cost effective. Another way of freeze drying in the link above was to flash freeze with dry ice, then put the frozen foods on an open tray in a frost free freezer. I did that with a tray of apple slices. They are not yet at the dehydrated bendable stage after six days in the freezer. I don't know if they will ever get to a dry enough state to snap when bent. I do not rate this system as practical either, because it takes the purchase of dry ice and use of lots of freezer space for the process. The third method of freeze drying was to flash freeze with the dry ice, then put it in a vacuum chamber to draw out the moisture. Wartach astutely noticed the $15 harbor freight vacuum pump. The acrylic for the top is available from Lowes. I was planning to use a large stock pot for a chamber and a cut rubber mat for the gasket. I would still have to figure out the line to the chamber from the pump. Thanks, Rick for the reminder to be careful with dry ice. At the moment, I am so disappointed in the dry ice, I may not even proceed with the vacuum chamber experiment. Its interesting that people put processes on line that they have never tried and then do not report any results of their own experiences. I don't want to leave people with a false impression so am supplying this report. On a pleasant note, I just finished reading the biography BIRDSEYE, The Adventure of a Curious Man and I highly recommend it. Birdseye learned about flash freezing while living in Labrador and preserving food for the winter. He wondered why foods frozen in mid winter stored so much better than foods frozen in fall or spring. When he returned to the states, he used EXISTING knowledge and technology to invent a practical way to flash freeze foods and store it. Unfortunately he was ahead of his times. There was not distribution or storage available either commercially or in homes to appreciate what he had done. Never the less, food storage world round has been transformed by his success and perseverance. After succeeding in that venture, he turned to dehydration as the most practical way to preserve and distribute foods. He did not live long enough to discover that his original flash freezing was also the key to quality dehydration. Carol

Quickly dried in a dehydrator and then packed in home canning jars. Use the Food Saver canning jar attachment and place a lid between the top of the jar and the attachment. Connect the vacuum line from the FS device, and pull a vacuum. After a couple of minutes, pull the vacuum line from the top of the adapter and it will force the canning lid to get pulled onto the jar, sealing it. You now have vacuum packed herbs and they keep a long time, except cilantro. I have a lOT of dill weeed that is now 2 years old and its still as viable and fresh smelling and tasting as if it was done last week. Still a nice bright green color too. Check the HARVEST forum for further info on the FS jar adapters, as they have both regular and wide mouth jar types. When I need some, I just remove the lid and take what I need, then reseal it under vacuum again. I do this with gratd cheese to, and it keeps many months in the fridge without any mold issues. There, I use the plastic vacuum canisters that Food Saver sells.

I get the impression (correct me if I'm wrong!) that you are looking at your herbs rather like a lawn - keep them all at a uniform height so they look neat and tidy. Well, it isn't like that. There's not much about herbs that is neat and tidy! For the most part, you will cut back your herbs when you harvest them for eating. You can do that pretty much at any time you like, but don't take more than one-third of total growth at any one time, then wait until the plant regenerates before doing it again. You can take whole sprigs cut pretty much to the ground, or you can take tips, or you can take individual leaves. You can harvest many times - not just once a season. Parsley and chervil - take the oldest leaves first. Coriander - take any leaves you like while you can - once they turn feathery and the plant bolts to seed (guaranteed to happen soon now you've got warmer weather!) just let it self-seed and forget harvesting until the next generation comes up). Summer savory - take whole sprigs and remember it's an annual, so harvest while it's still around. Oregano - it'll run wild if allowed to, so harvest whole sprigs any time. It's up to you whether to freeze or dry your herbs for storage. My personal preference is for freezing. Chervil particularly doesn't hold its flavour well when dried.

If that 'little grey on top' isn't mould, then just what is it?? I'd much rather omit the oil and just freeze the chopped herbs! It's very easy to do! You don't have to chop everything by hand - a zap in the food processor is quite successful. Then freeze in flat 'pancakes' in a plastic container, separated by plastic wrap, label each 'pancake' and it's just a matter of breaking off suitably-sized bits as required. You can make your own herb mixes in the same way, but frankly, I prefer to keep my herbs separately - that way I can ad lib, or just use one herb at a time. Besides, I don't want oil in everything I make!