Drying Herbs - How to Dry and Store Your Fresh Garden Herbs

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Drying Herbs - How to Dry and Store Your Fresh Garden Herbs

Fresh garden herbs can easily be air dried, to preserve their flavor and

quality. Air drying herbs is not only the easiest and least expensive

way to dry fresh herbs, but this slow drying process also doesn't

deplete the herbs of their oils. Here are some simple steps for air

drying herbs.

Extending Your Herb Garden

Air drying herbs is not only the easiest and least expensive way to dry

fresh herbs, but this slow drying process also doesn't deplete the herbs

of their oils. This process works best with herbs that don't have a high

moisture content, like Bay, Dill, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Summer

Savory and Thyme. Moisture dense herbs, like Basil, Chives, Mint,

Tarragon preserve better in a dehydrator, or try freezing them. Use a

microwave or oven to dry herbs only as a last resort. These actually

cook the herbs to a degree, diminishing the oil content and flavor.

Harvesting

-Harvest before flowering. If you've been harvesting all season, your

plants probably haven't had a chance to flower. But non-hardy herbs will

start to decline as the weather cools, so late summer is a good time to

begin drying your herbs.

-Cut in mid-morning. Let the morning dew dry from the leaves, but pick

before the plants are wilting in the afternoon sun.

 

How To Dry Herbs

-Cut healthy branches from your herb plants.

-Remove any dry or diseased leaves

-Shake gently to remove and insects.

-If necessary, rinse with cool water and pat well dry with paper towels.

Wet herbs will mold and rot.

-Remove the lower leaves along the bottom inch or so of the branch. -Bundle 4 - 6 branches together and tie as a bunch. You can use string

or a rubber band. The bundles will shrink as they dry and the rubber

band will loosen, so check periodically they the bundle is not slipping.

Make small bundles if you are trying to dry herbs with high water content. -Punch or cut several holes in a paper bag. Label the bag with the name

of the herb you are drying. Place the herb bundle upside down into the

bag. Gather the ends of the bag around the bundle and tie closed. Make

sure the herbs are not crowded inside the bag. Hand the bag upside down

in a warm, airy room. Check in about two weeks to see how things are

progressing. Keep checking weekly until your herbs are dry and ready to

store.

Storing Dried Herbs

Store your dried herbs in air tight containers. Zip closing bags will

do. I like to use small canning jars. Be sure to label and date your

containers.

 

Your herbs will retain more flavor is you store the leaves hole and

crush them when you are ready to use them. Discard any dried herbs that

show the slightest sign of mold. Place containers in a cool, dry place

away from sunlight.

Dried herbs are best used within a year. As your herbs loose their

color, they are also loosing their flavor.

 

 

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.~ Albert Einstein ~

 

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