A simple way to save your summer herbs

The growing season is upon us, and if we're smart, we're taking advantage of the fresh herbs in our gardens or at the farmers' market. But with excess comes guilt: A little herb goes a long way, and that often means we aren't using the bounty to its full advantage.

If the herbs are growing on a pot on the patio, it's important to clip them - pinching helps them grow fuller and prevents them from flowering. (Once it has flowered, an herb has finished contributing to culinary society, and the flavor party's over.)

If they're sitting in the fridge, their power wanes with each passing day.

Here's a simple idea: Make herb-inspired simple syrups. They're called simple for a reason, and are delicious added to iced teas, carbonated waters, cocktails. (Start with 1 tablespoon per cup of liquid, then adjust to taste.) The syrups also can be fun mixed into granitas, dessert sauces, vinaigrettes and marinades.

We've adapted the basic recipe from Chef Jerry Traunfeld in The Herbfarm Cookbook:

Heat 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to a boil, stirring occasionally so the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 5 to 10 sprigs of your herb of choice. Steep 30 minutes or more; the longer it stands, the stronger it gets. Pour the syrup through a sieve into a container; discard spent herbs and let mixture cool. The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for many weeks.