Harvesting lemongrass is an easy task once you know your way around. In this blog, learn how to harvest lemongrass, preserve it, and use it in the kitchen or elsewhere.
Finding lemongrass in the product aisle may be challenging, but growing it in your garden is really simple. Read to know more about Harvesting Lemongrass Plant.
Harvesting lemon grass is easy. It is not only a beautiful plant but also works miracles in your kitchen, giving a delicate lemony flavor to soups, teas, and other foods.
The tall, billowy plant lemongrass has long blades that resemble grass blades moving in the wind. It’s a low-maintenance plant that will enhance the flavor of your food and adds value to your home.
Use the tips below to learn how to harvest lemongrass in your garden.
When should I Harvest Lemongrass?
When Lemongrass reaches a specific length and the stalk bottom is at least half an inch thick, you can harvest the Lemongrass. Stalks can either be completely plucked out by hand or cut at ground level.
Remove the entire swollen base, which resembles the bulbous end of green onion; if you notice roots at the stem, this is actually a good sign.
When Is My Lemongrass Ready For Harvesting?
To harvest Lemongrass, you must remain calm and wait for the right moment. If the weather, light, and hydration needs are satisfied, the Lemongrass should take a little longer than three months to be ready for harvest.
Harvesting Lemon Grass
The stems and leaves of lemongrass are the primary crops. The process of the lemon grass harvest is straightforward.
- As and when you need them, stalks are lopped off as low to the ground as feasible.
- Take no more than a third of the bush at a time.
- Lemongrass may be harvested after it’s at least 12 inches tall.
Harvesting Lemongrass Seeds
I bundled if only the lemongrass plant is up and flourishing, you’ll be able to gather its seeds as lemongrass blooms in autumn and produces seeds during winter.
Sit tight till the plant has done blooming and also the seeds are matured before harvesting the seeds. A plant’s seed head is removed, and they are hooked by its stems to dry.
These seeds were, therefore, conventionally collected by striking the seed head against the ground.
When To Harvest Lemon Grass
- When they reach a certain height and the base of the stem is at least 1/2 inch thick, harvesting may begin.
- Stalks may either be cut at ground level or pulled out entirely by hand.
- Remove the whole bloated base, which looks like the bulbous end or green onion.
- Roots at the stem are actually a good sign, so don’t worry if you see these.
Edible Portion Of The Plant
- The lemongrass you eat will be located around the base of the stalk.
- To remove the grassy top of the plant, cut it off carefully; this area might be quite pointy.
- The first thing you have to do is reveal the interior white, reedy component.
- You may either freeze it whole or slice it up to save it. Crushing the base of the stem with the razor knife blade will make slicing much simpler.
harvesting lemongrass for tea
Although fresh stems may also be used, dried leaves are typically used to make lemongrass tea.
Chop your Lemongrass leaves up into small bits if you are going with the dried leaves variant, which would be fantastic to have in store.
Place those on some kind of drying board or napkins in a hot, dry area that is not in bright sun. The greens can be kept in a container in a cold, dark location once they are fully dried.
Lemongrass teas have several health benefits. Harvesting lemongrass for tea needs to be done when the plant is around one foot tall.
Then cut, twist, or cut off a stalk that is at minimum 1/4 inches thick.
You can use its stalk and foliage both for tea. Just pick the bottom soft part for the teas as this has more flavors.
Here is a quick lemongrass teas recipe for you
- Take a few pieces from the fresh stalks, you can also take dried leave.
- Add 2-3 cups of water, wait until fully boiled, and add these leaves.
- Simmer it for 5 minutes and you can also add your desired flavors like black pepper, basil, cinnamon, and honey and enjoy it delicious hot or iced.
How To Use Lemongrass Leaves
Lemongrass leaves are used in many different ways. Learn about how to use lemongrass leaves in different ways here.
- The lemongrass leaves have a strong flavor. With its citrusy undertones, lemongrass adds depth and flavor to various dishes.
- Due to the intensity of the flavor, these leaves are used in various Asian cuisines as a seasoning.
- Hot lemongrass tea is quite famous for its soothing effect. It helps in adding an essence of lemon to the tea.
- Other than this, lemongrass is also used in Ukado tea which helps in boosting the immune system and is a traditional home remedy in many parts of the world.
- The lemongrass leaves are excellent for giving flavor to the rice.
- Adding some chopped lemongrass to cooked rice can enhance the flavor of the rice and make them delicious.
- The lemongrass tea helps in adding a citrusy and delicious touch to the salads.
- You can remove the woody outer part of the lemongrass, cut off the softcore and locate the bulb at the bottom. Chop the bulb carefully and toss it over the salad.
How to use drying lemongrass for tea
If you’re looking to make a delicious and refreshing tea, there’s no need to look any further than using dried lemongrass.
This aromatic plant is perfect for adding flavor and freshness to your drinks, and it’s also great for use in cooking. Here are a few tips on how to use drying lemongrass for tea:
- One way is to simply add it to the water when you make your tea.
- Another way is to steep for a little bit and then use a strainer to remove the wrinkles from the leaves before serving.
How to Preserve Lemongrass
You can store the lemongrass in the fridge or the freezer to preserve them; they both work fine.
If you want to store them for a shorter time span, storing them in the fridge is a good option. However, for longer times, you can use the freezer.
If you want to keep it on hand, you can even turn it into a fine paste and use it whenever you need it.
1. Storing the Lemongrass in Refrigerator
If you want to store the lemongrass leaves in the fridge, you can take the lemongrass and wrap the untrimmed stalks with the help of aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Once you have tightly secured the lemongrass leaves, you can store them in the fridge for around two weeks.
Use them at your convenience by taking them out of the fridge.
2. Storing the Lemongrass in a Freezer
- If you want to preserve the lemongrass leaves for a long time, you can trim the green tops from the stalk.
- When you are done with the trimming, proceed to wrap the stalks in plastic and seal them up using a zip-lock bag.
- By doing this process, you can keep the lemongrass stored for up to three months. When you need to use it, take it out from the freezer, thaw it, and use it.
3. Make a Paste
- If you have a food processor or a mortar and pestle, you can grind a paste of the lemongrass leaves and then freeze it up.
- Whenever you need to use it, just take out the frozen form of paste and use it as per your requirement.
4. Storage
Once picked, lemongrass may be kept in a colder place for some time. When using frozen lemongrass, do so within 6 months.
5. Preservation
They may preserve stumps and leaves of lemongrass in the same way by drying them.
Dissect and hang to dry. The shelf life of dehydrated lemongrass is around a year if stored in a cool, dry environment.
Cocktails with Lemongrass
Additionally, Lemongrass is becoming more popular in alcoholic beverages. Many cocktail recipes take advantage of its strong flavor. For instance, this herb is used with ginger, thyme, alcohol, and root beer, mostly in Soho drinks.
The well-known flavor combination of ginger with Lemongrass may also be made to produce a fantastic tequila blend.
Moreover, you’ll discover how Lemongrass goes very well with coconut milk, chili peppers, pear, lemon, cucumbers, and other herbal beverage ingredients as you experiment with new medicinal drink ideas.
Enjoy yourself by blending it with the other ingredients or sipping on a cold lemongrass tea. Fresh lemongrass stalks can also stir beverages as a homemade straw.
Lemongrass in Food
A common herb for cuisine, Lemongrass can be utilized in a variety of dishes. It may be found frequently in Thai cooking and serves as a staple of Asian cuisine.
It works best if coarsely minced because it is quite fibrous and occasionally even scratchy. If you’re using big chunks, discard them before dishing, just like bay leaves.
Chicken, as well as seafood, go well together when Lemongrass is added. Try using it in dishes such as the tangy Thai lime prawns or the grilled lemongrass chicken with a fragrant lime sauce. Beef, hog, or lamb go well with Lemongrass as well.
The soup with shrimp and veggies called tom yum is among the most popular dishes using Lemongrass.
In addition to using coconut milk, the recipe for Thai noodle soup with chicken and Lemongrass offers an intriguing spin on traditional soup.
Try a Thai vegetable soup that features the wonderful fusion of Lemongrass and ginger for something even more unusual.
Lemongrass Oil
Through the hydro distillation of dehydrated Lemongrass, lemongrass oil is produced.
It is a well-known cure for bone and muscle aches, again for the treatment of wounds, for reducing depression, as well as for restricting bacterial activity in the body.
It is brimming with pain relief, antidepressant, antibacterial, antipyretic, disinfectant, astringent, and antimicrobial characteristics.
The most outstanding feature is that it’s effortless to make, and you can do it at home.
Does Lemongrass Grow Back After Harvesting?
By performing routine pruning, you can keep the plants in your lemongrass garden at a manageable size and encourage them to sprout new growth.
Can Lemongrass Help Control Cholesterol?
Your chance of having a stroke or heart attack could increase if you have high cholesterol. According to a study, lemongrass oil extract reduced bad cholesterol in mice.
The dosage affected the lowering of cholesterol. Further studies on mice concluded that taking up to 100milligrammes of lemongrass oil every day was safe over the long run.
Although lemongrass tea provides the same benefits or not as lemongrass oil, additional investigation is necessary.
Can Lemongrass Decrease the Swelling In My Body?
Since lemongrass tea encourages the kidney to generate higher urine than typical, it is known to cause diuretic effects.
Consuming lemongrass tea compared to other drinks enhances urinary output, says research.
When fluid retention results in swelling, your body’s diuretic function could be helpful, this is another typical premenstrual syndrome sign (PMS).
Harvesting Lemongrass Plant FAQs
Q: How Can I Store Freshly Harvested Plants?
Freshly harvested lemon grass is best kept in the fridge or freezer.
You can wrap the stalks in foil to prevent exposure to too much cold. This will preserve them for at least two weeks.
The tops should be stored separately in Ziploc bags.
Q: How Long Before I Can Start Harvesting?
If you want to harvest lemon grass, then you’ll have to practice a bit of patience.
As long as the temperature, sun, and water conditions are met, and if you’re growing the plant from the seeds, then it should take a little over three months before the lemon grass harvest time.
Q: What’s Dangerous For Lemon Grass?
The worst thing you can do to lemongrass is put it at a temperature that’s too cold.
That’s why it’s best grown in a container so that it can be placed indoors during the colder seasons.
Q: Does The Plant Grow Back After Cutting?
The plants in your lemongrass garden may be kept at a reasonable size and stimulated to produce new growth by performing regular pruning.
Lemongrass may be kept under control by cooking with it and then cutting the stalks off for use in other recipes.
But the plant spreads so rapidly that it usually needs further pruning to stay in check.
Q: how to use lemongrass leaves in cooking?
Lemongrass leaves can be used in various ways as Curry pastes, soups, salad dressings, and simple sauces.
Due to its little tangy flavor, it adds freshness and great color to the dishes.
Q: Fastest Ways to preserve lemongrass
There are many ways that can be used to store fresh and dried lemongrass.
1. We can store well-dried leaves outside at room temperature for months.
2. Another way is to chop fresh green stalks and store them in the fridge wrapped in tissue paper or in a soft towel.
Q: does lemon grass grow back after harvesting?
Yes, lemongrass can grow again once harvested. Based on fair growing conditions like proper water, sunlight and nutrition they will produce new stalks quickly.
Q: how do I know when my lemongrass is ready to harvest
Well, the growth of lemongrass is not so quick and you need to know when it turned 1 foot long. That is the time when you can harvest them.
Q: lemongrass harvest time?
Well, it depends on many factors like soil, light, and water conditions but usually, it takes 75-100 days after sowing seeds. No matter indoors or outdoors.
Q: How Do You Harvest Lemongrass Seeds
The seeds of lemongrass need to be extracted by cutting off seed heads from the stalks and then dried properly for a few days.
The Wrapup
Making sure the plant is kept in the best possible conditions until it is time to harvest is the key to understanding how to harvest Lemongrass.
After harvesting, separate the stems and heads and keep those in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them in your cooking.
Lemongrass has a wide range of culinary applications, including flavor and aroma. The plant’s stalk is its main edible component.
The stalks are usually broken to unleash their lemony flavor before usage because they are relatively stiff.
The soft middle, which can be cooked and then sliced and utilized in various dishes, is the only edible part. This and other delicate components are frequently located lower on the stem.
Learning how to harvest lemon grass is all about making sure that the plant is kept in the most suitable conditions before the time comes to harvest.
After harvesting, you can store the stalks and tops separately in the freezer until you’re ready to use them in your food.
My name is Olivia, and I live in the United States and love having plants in my garden. Lots of plants are there on my balcony, indoor and outdoor garden also. Here I am trying to share useful gardening tips, how to grow and care for various plants, etc.
