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How to Dry Fresh Herbs

Posted on April 14th, 2009 by Carmelia
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Whether you buy fresh herbs or get them from your garden, you’ve got to admit that sometimes you don’t get to use all of them. Drying fresh herbs are a great way to keep them useful in the future. Here are the different ways how.

Which Herbs?

The following herbs work best for the slow-drying process, as they don’t have a high moisture content:

  • Marjoram
  • Bay
  • Dill
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Summer Savory
  • Rosemary

While these herbs work best with dehydration or freezing due to their moisture-dense properties:

  • Basil
  • Mint
  • Chives
  • Tarragon

How to Harvest

  1. Cut the herbs in mid-morning, just in time for the morning dew to dry from the leaves. However, don’t wait too long as the leaves can later wilt in the afternoon sun.
  2. Harvest before the herbs flower. Late summer is a great time to start harvesting and drying your herbs as the less hardy ones tend to decline in cooling weather.
  3. When the conditions are favorable, use a gardening knife or scissors to cut healthy branches from the herb plants, but not too much to leave them completely bare.
  4. Remove dry or diseased leaves, or leaves that have been chewed on by insects.
  5. Shake gently to remove any remaining insects.
  6. Rinse the fresh herbs with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure they are completely dry.
  7. The next step depends on what kind of drying technique you intend on using.

Air-Drying

  1. Remove the leaves along the bottom part of the branch.
  2. Use a rubber band to bundle four to six branches together and tie them in a bunch. As the leaves dry, they will shrink, so make sure that you check them time and again so they won’t slip out of the rubber bands.
  3. Get a paper bag and cut several holes in it. Label the bag with the herb you’re drying it in.
  4. Place the herb branches upside-down in the bag, gather the bag ends around the bundle and tie securely. The herbs should not be overcrowding inside the bag.
  5. Hang the bag upside-down in a warm, airy room.
  6. Check the herbs in two weeks to see the progress. Take them out of the bag and remove them from the bundle when they are fully dried.

Oven Drying

  1. Place the fresh herbs on a cookie sheet.
  2. Put the oven on the lowest setting, around 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Depending on the thickness of the leaves, it can take to 15 minutes to a few hours to dry completely. Just make sure to turn them over every once in a while to make sure they all dry evenly and that they don’t become too toasted.

Refrigerator Drying

  1. Put the fresh herbs in a lunch-sized brown paper bag, folded over on top and sealed with a staple.
  2. Put the bag in the refrigerator, in the “regular” section and not in the fruit and vegetable section nor the freezer.
  3. Refrigerator drying will take a few weeks, and check weekly until they are completely dry, which typically takes around three weeks.
  4. When thoroughly dry, have them stored in an air-tight container.

Use the dried herbs within six months of drying, and remove any moldy or discolored leaves when spotted. Happy herb drying!

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