Lemongrass: harvesting and storing properly
Lemongrass can also be grown successfully here. But how do you harvest and store it correctly? Find out here!
Lemongrass is often bundled after harvest [Photo: Arqam Bin Nasir / Shutterstock.com]
Harvest lemongrass properly
Lemongrass is an evergreen, herbaceous plant and can therefore be harvested all year round. To do this, the stalks are simply cut a few centimeters above the surface of the earth. It should not be cut too deep so as not to endanger the new growth through injuries. In commercial cultivation, the plants are completely harvested and used with one cut. In the tropical and subtropical growing areas, the plants can thus be harvested three to four times within a year.
If you grow lemongrass for your own needs in the garden, a continuous harvest is a good option. So you can always harvest the aromatic young stalks for use in the kitchen. In addition, the freshly harvested use is of course also best for lemongrass.
The stalks can easily be cut close to the ground [Photo: johan kusuma / Shutterstock.com]
Store lemongrass properly
Lemongrass is best for seasoning immediately after harvest. But even the sweet grass does not stay fresh forever and rich in the flavoring aromas. However, the lemongrass wrapped in paper can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for a few weeks without losing its aroma intensity. If the usability of the spice is to be extended even further, it can also be frozen well. As a result, the usability can be increased up to a year without the lemongrass noticeably losing intensity. For many other herbs, darkened air drying is a tried and tested method of extending the usability. However, this storage method should not be used for lemongrass. Drying causes a drastic breakdown of the essential oils contained and thus leads to a loss of taste.
Unfortunately, dried lemongrass loses its aroma [Photo: Steidi / Shutterstock.com]
If you have now got a taste for it and want to grow lemongrass in your own garden, then take a look at “growing lemongrass”. There you will find instructions on how to successfully grow lemongrass step by step from propagation to harvest.
