Infused butters? Great food preservartion trick!

Looking for a stellar way to preserve and use up your homegrown herbs from your garden this year? While there are still a few weeks left to the strong part of the growing season, I am taking some time to start research preservation methods for my harvest this year… some old ones, like pickling or fermenting, but also new ones, like infused oils and butters.

This recipe is one of my new ones that I am testing out, and honestly I already think it’s a winner! Bursting with flavour and loaded with nutrients, anti-vital and anti-bacterial power, and ready to drizzle on just about anything, you really need to try this one. If your garden blessed you with an over-abundance of lemon balm like mine did this year, then this is obviously the best way to use some of it up.

Lemon Balm Butter with Garlic:

· 4 tbsp. butter (½ stick)

· 10 lemon balm leaves (use medium to small size leaves)

· 5 small mint leaves

· 1 – 2 oregano leaves

· 4 purple or Thai basil leaves

· 1 tsp. lemon pepper

· 2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated (adjust to taste)

1) Chop up the lemon balm leaves and the other fresh herbs

2) Add the grated garlic to the chopped herbs

3) Melt half a stick of butter (4 tbsp). Ideally, melt the butter stove top because it is safer than microwaving it, then mix the herbs, garlic and melted butter together. Add the lemon pepper and mix well

4) Transfer to a mason jar or pour into an ice cube tray. Refrigerate or freeze for 2 weeks or up to 6 months

(Many thanks to the Healing Tomato website for the amazing recipe!)