Dry Your Own Tea Herbs

July 7, 2006

Dry Your Own Tea HerbsHerbal Teas: Soothing Blends for Life's Ups & Downsby Kathleen BrownA complete, hands-on guide to making and using herbal teas to relievecommon ailments and promote wellness.Making Your Own Herbal TeasIf you want to make tea from fresh herbs, first wash them thoroughly inclean cold water, then shake or pat them dry with a towel. Herbs thatgrow close to the ground like parsley and thyme need to be washedcarefully because they are most likely to have soil on their leaves.Remove the stems and any dead and imperfect leaves, chop or bruise theherbs, and pop the green goodies into a teapot. It's that simple. But,if you want to dry and store them, follow these handy herbal hints:An important thing to remember when drying herbs is to process them asquickly as possible after picking to ensure maximum flavor. Oncegathered, shake gently to remove dust and insects. It's important tokeep the herbs out of strong light and sun to prevent the color andflavor from fading. Be sure to keep the herbs separate and wellidentified, because, as they dry, many look the same.To Dry Herbs Quickly: Spread on a mesh rack and place in a slow oven setfrom 100-degrees to 125-degrees F. Using more heat causes the volatileoils in the plants to be destroyed. Leave the oven door open, and standnearby because some leaves dry quickly.To Air-Dry Herbs: Make sure the herbs are not left in places that couldbe attacked by insects or rodents. Vermin are especially common in hot,humid climates. In cold climates, mildew is a factor to consider.The drying area should be dry, well ventilated, and out of direct light.In damp or cold climates, some artificial heat may be necessary tosupplement the natural drying process. If you're hanging the herbs inbunches, don't make your bunches too large or he leaves could turn blackor moldy. You can hang air-drying herbs inside paper bags to keep thedust off. But just be sure to punch many holes into the bags to let theair in and keep moisture out.Some herbs dry very well when spread on trays, but don't spread them toothickly. Parsley leaves, for instance, are so thick they can be spreadonly one layer deep. Thyme, however, holds so little moisture you canjust leave a big pile in a basket.When drying small-leaved herbs such as thyme, pick branches instead ofleaves and hang them in bundles to dry. Once they're dry, it's easy tostrip the leaves from the stems by running your fingers gently backwarddown either side. The larger-leaved herbs like mint and sage are betterpicked separately from the branches before drying. In a warm, dry spot,most herbs will air-dry in anywhere from 4 to 7 days, depending onclimate. Heavy-leaved herbs may take several weeks, however. To check ifyour herbs are totally dry, crumble a bit between your fingers. Ifthey're crispy and break cleanly, they're dry. If they bend and arestill flexible, they need more time to dry. Leaves, properly stored, maylast 1 to 2 years but are usually best used within 1 year. If you'redrying your own herbs, at least you know the date they were dried. Whenbuying dried herbs commercially, you really don't know when they wereprocessed.StoringHere are some simple, but very important considerations in storing driedherbs.• The type of container is vital, with glass or metal being the best.Dark glass is especially good, since it prevents light from fading theherbs' vitality. If using clear glass, store in a dark place, ifpossible.• Herbs must be completely dry or they will mold.• Store immediately after drying to best preserve volatile oils, color,texture, and flavor.• Use airtight containers to keep dust and vermin out.• Package each herb separately and label every container carefully.• Store in a cool, dry, dark place for the best results.• Monitor containers regularly to make sure there is no condensation.Freezing HerbsFreezing works very well for some herbs – dill, lemon balm, lemonverbena, mint, rosemary, and thyme to name a few. Wash the herbs well,and pat them dry with towels. You can freeze them whole or chopped.Plastic bags work well, as they take up little space when stacked flat.Or add a little water and freeze the herbs into ice cube trays. Whenfrozen, pop the cubes from the trays into plastic bags, and take a fewout when needed. Another good technique for freeze storing is to putabout 1 part chopped herb in 2 parts butter and freeze. The butterpreserves the color and flavor and is great for cooking, too.Lunar TipsLeaves gathered when the moon is waning tend to dry most rapidly sincethey retain less sap in their leaves and stems.Try to gather roots when the moon is waxing, since their roots are themost tender then.- From Herbal Teas: Soothing Blends for Life's Ups & Downsby Kathleen Brown

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