Storing my herbs

So throughout the summer I have grown about 5 varieties of thyme, aswell as lemon balm, marjoram, rosemary, sage and chives.

Some of the thyme varieities have become very woody, however still have leaves.

What would be the best thing t do with them, strip the leaves off and simply dry? also any methods for doing so?

In terms of the other herbs, any tips on them too or anything apart from cooking i can add them to?

 

You need to give thyme a good cut back after it flowers every year to stop it going woody. I personally wouldn't strip the leaves on evergreen varieties like rosemary, thyme and sage. Just leave them where they have been growing and you should be able to use them throughout the winter. Unless you are using huge amounts or your plants are very small, then you should be ok.

Things like mint, peppermint, lemon balm and chives should be cut back soon. Some people freeze the leaves chopped up in ice cube trays, adding a bit of water to them before freezing. Then when you want to add them to your dish you simply add the ice cube to the dish. Most of the water will evaporate. Some people also make herb butters with them. I haven't tried either of these methods yet but a lot of gardeners do. A lot of people dry their own herbs too, but I've found storing them a bit hit and miss.

http://foodpreservation.about.com/od/Preserving-Fats-Oils/r/Herb-Butter-Recipe.htm

You could also try making herb oils and vinegars, with rosemary and mint. Again I haven't done this as I don't use a lot of oil in my cooking but you could give it a try.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/condimentrecipes/r/blcon3.htm

If you have an open fire, adding a sprig of rosemary to the fire really can add a nice scent to the house.