[Erin]

I can't find fresh lemongrass out here to save my life. Heck I can't even find it in paste form. I was thinking that the next time I come across some that I'd buy quite a bit and freeze it. Has anyone ever done it? If so how did it go?
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"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[minkey]

I haven't tried freezing it, but it is very easy to grow. Do you get any kind of heat in the summertime where you are?

[Erin]

We get about three or four months of horrendous, icky heat. So in other words, yes. Can you give me some growing tips? Is it grown from seed?

Sambal Achan (peanut sauce) "Barbecue Bible" by Steven Raichlen

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup ketjap manis or 2Tbs each soy sauce and molasses
2 or 3 TBS sambal ulek or another chili sauce, (sriracha works well)
1 large fresh tomato peeled, seeded and diced
2 scallions white and green parts trimmed and minced
1 clove garlic minced
3 Tbs fresh cilantro minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Toss together and stir! Keeps up to a week. I served this recently to my neighbors and they freaked. I had to send everyone home with a copy of the recipe.
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"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[julietgb]

When I needed a lot of lemongrass I freezed it and kept it there for 2-3 months. When I needed was the same as if a bought it that day.
Try it.
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http://filosofiadesabor.blogspot.com

[Erin]

Thanks for the info! It sounds promising.
_________________
"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[Barbara]

Erin - I had lemon grass growing in my garden until the gardner thought it was a weed and pulled it out. I purchased a plant from the nursery which I'm sure you could do in the US.
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Barbara

[minkey]

Barbara, if your lemongrass was anything like mine, I'm very impressed by your gardener Mine was a monster, quickly overpowering my teeny kitchen garden.

So, I'm just saying it can be invasive.

Erin, it really likes heat and moisture. I had a spot where all the water seemed to collect and it was very happy there. It grew so quickly that I think a couple months would yield a decent crop for you. I found a seedling at a garden shop; don't know how it is to grow from seed.

If I find where to get more I will let you know...

[minkey]

Well here's a place that ships it, if you're interested in that...

http://www.santarosagardens.com/Cymbopogon_citratus_Lemon_Grass_p/cym-cit.htm

[Susan in Italy]

How to grow lemongrass:

Well, IF you ever do get a hold of some fresh lemongrass (sounds like that's not so easy in your neck of the woods) in a grocery store, you can choose some that have just the tiniest bit of root at the bottom. You can put that in a glass of water and the root will grow. Once it's at least an inch long, plant the lemongrass in a pot (no invasiveness problem that way:-)) and it will grow new shoots. When you need a stalk, just cut at the base (at the soil line) and other shoots will come up to replace the one you cut.

[ptegan]

Thanks for the growing tip !

I can get it in our local Asian store but it's always good to know that I can't grow it myself !

[Erin]

Oh wow, all of this info is awesome! Thank you.

Susan, It isn't easy to get a lot out where I am, so I have taken a keen interest in gardening. Now I don't have to go without my heirloom tomatoes, and now lemongrass!
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"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[woodstocker]

I would have thought that there was a greater variety out on the Island. Although, God knows, Stony Brook and the surrounding grocery stores could use some improvement. Give me Adams any day and I will be a happy, happy girl. (argh, now I have the jingle stuck in my head)

[suzy]

growing lemongrass is really easy! I always plant it (when I can find it at my nursery) and it gets huge. I'm in Boston, so my growing season is shorter than yours in NY, but long enough for a bumper crop of lemongrass.

[Debbie]

We always grew it in pots so it wouldn't take over the garden. It grows so easily.

Just make sure that you have a saucer under your pot so that it doesn't shoot out of the bottom and into the soil/paving/decking or whatever you have. My Great Aunt made that mistake and we couldn't pick the pot up! It had anchored itself to the ground through a crack in the concrete.... didn't we get a chuckle out of that... until I had to try and cut it off without destroying the pot - which was a very large terracotta one and very very heavy... I can laugh about it now, but at the time, no way!

We used to also put crushed lemongrass (just use the back of a heavy kitchen knife to bash the stems - which have been washed if you have kitties or puppies) into boiling water and let steep for a delicious and refreshing drink. It is also nice in green tea, or even in black tea. Smells good, and tastes good.

Never tried freezing it as we each had so much of it. More of a case of trying to find uses for it, or giving it away, once it was established.
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If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.

[Debbie]

Just had another thought....

we also steeped hot milk with crushed lemongrass and made lovely baked custardy type set milk dishes with it. Lovely delicate flavour and a nice finish to a winter meal.

Coconut milk can also be steeped with it to make a coconut lemongrass rice dish.... which is delicious!
_________________
If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.