How To Dry Herbs

An herb garden is a reflection of beauty and is intricately tied to food and family, it seems a good day to talk about an herb garden and drying herbs. One of the most rewarding and special places in my garden has been the little herb garden I built a few seasons ago. It has been filled with Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Sage, Lavender, and is mixed in with perennials and annuals. It has given me a lot of joy. I have experimented with cooking the herbs, but really, the joy has come from the immeasurably wonderful smells that lift to my nose every time I brush by. To keep the herb love moving forward, I am going to dry them for winter.

HOW TO DRY HERBS

Step 1 – Cut off the tops of the leafy varieties and wash gently with cold water. Air Dry.

Step 2 – Tie stem bases together. Place in a paper bag with stem ends at the opening and close the bag with a rubber band.

Step 3 – Feed a paper clip through the rubber band and hook the clip on a string or line where you are going to hang the herbs indoors to dry.

Step 4 – Wait. Patiently for about a month.

Step 5 – Remove herbs from paper bags, crumble leaves, place on a shallow pan, and dry out in the oven with the setting at “warm” or lower than 100 degrees until completely dry.

Step 6 – Store herbs in glass jars or other airtight containers in a cool place.

What do you do with your herbs? Leave a comment and let me know if you dry herbs and how you use those dried herbs at the end of the season. Happy Fall!