Herbs from your garden are best when used fresh, but there are usually too many to utilize in one season. That is where understanding how to dry herbs comes in. Air drying is not only the simplest and most cost-effective technique to dry fresh herbs, but it can also help keep the herbs’ essential oils, preserving their flavor.
Before Getting Started
Air drying is recommended for herbs with low moisture content, such as bay, dill, angelica, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, summer savory, and thyme.
To preserve the greatest flavor of these herbs, either let them dry naturally or use a food dehydrator.
A microwave or a low-temperature oven may appear to be a quick shortcut, but they do cook the herbs to some extent, reducing the oil content and flavor. Use these appliances as a last resort.
If you wish to preserve herbs with succulent leaves or a high moisture content, such as basil, chives, mint, and tarragon, you can use a dehydrator, but freezing them will provide the best flavor preservation. It’s simple to accomplish and much faster than drying.
When to Harvest Your Herbs for Drying
When you’re ready to finish pruning your herbs for the season:
- Harvest herbs before they flower for the best flavor. If you’ve been harvesting branches all season, it’s unlikely that your plants will flower. However, by late summer, even herbs that have not yet blossomed will begin to die as the weather cools. This is an ideal time to start gathering and drying your herbs.
- The branches were cut in the middle of the morning. Allow the morning dew to dry from the leaves, but pluck before the plants wilt in the afternoon light.
- Do not cut the entire plant unless you intend to replace it. You should never cut back by more than two-thirds or remove more than roughly one-third of a plant’s branches at once.
- Herbs can retain their flavor for up to a year after being dried and stored in airtight containers.
Also Read : How to Grow and Care for Pothos Indoors & Outdoors (Even in Water!)
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Pruners or garden scissors
- Airtight containers
- String or rubber bands
Materials
- Paper bag
- Container labels
- Paper towels
Instructions
How to Dry Fresh Herbs
Step: 1
Gather Clippings.
Gather the clippings you want to dry.
Step: 2
Shake the branches.
Shake the branches lightly to get rid of any insects. There will always be hitchhikers, and because you will not be properly washing the stems, get rid of as many as possible right away.
Step : 3
Make sure the herbs are dry.
If you harvested your herbs when the plants were dry, you should be able to shake off any excess soil. Rinse with cool water if required, then wipe dry with paper towels. The herb branches should be hung or laid out in an area with good air circulation so they can dry fast. Wet herbs will mold and decay.
Step: 4
Remove the lower leaves.
Remove the lower leaves from the last inch or two of the stem. These leaves can be utilized fresh or dried individually. Remove any dried or damaged leaves from the chopped herbs at this point. Yellowed and diseased leaves are unsuitable for drying. The season’s stress has already affected their flavor.
Step: 5
Bundle the stems together
Bundle four to six stems together and tie in a bundle. You can use a rubber band or a string. The bundles will shrink as they dry, and the string will loosen, so check the bundles occasionally to ensure they are not slipping. If you want to dry herbs with a high water content, construct little bundles so that air can pass between the branches and they don’t rot.
Step: 6
Place the herbs in paper bags (optional).
Though this step is optional, some people find that using paper bags helps to dry the herbs faster and more thoroughly. Punch or snip holes in a paper bag, then insert the coiled herbs inside upside down. Secure the bag by wrapping one end around the bundle and securing it closed. Make sure the herbs are not crowded in the bag. Label the bag with the name of the herb you’re drying.
Step: 7
Hang Herbs Upside Down.
The oldest method of drying herbs is to hang a bunch upside down in a warm, airy room and let nature to do the work.
How to Store Herbs
Once you’ve completed the drying process:
Discard any dried herbs that exhibit even the slightest hint of mold. It will only spread.
Store herbs in airtight containers.
Store dried herbs in airtight containers. Small canning jars work well. Zippered plastic bags also work. Your herbs will retain more flavor if you store the leaves whole and crush them when ready to utilize them.
Step: 3
Label and date the containers.
Label and date the containers.
Step: 4
Place containers in a cool, dry spot.
Keep containers in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight. Amber-colored canning jars are designed to hide sunlight.
Tips for Using Dried Herbs
Once the drying and storing procedures are completed, you can start using your herbs.
- To use your herbs in cooking, simply remove the stems and crush the leaves into a saucepan. You should be able to loosen the leaves by sliding your hand along the stem.
- To replace 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, use about 1 teaspoon of crumbled dried leaves.
- Dried herbs are most effective when utilized within a year. As your herbs lose color, they also lose flavor.
FAQ
Q: Are there certain herbs that should not be dried?
Ans: While many herbs can be dried and reused, other herbs with lesser volatile oils, such as parsley, tarragon, and chives, have stronger taste characteristics when used fresh. When these delicate herbs are dried, their flavor suffers and their shelf life shortens significantly.
Q: Should you dehydrate or air-dry herbs?
Ans: The moisture content of your herbs determines whether you should dehydrate or air dry them. It is recommended to dehydrate plants with a high moisture content, such as basil. Herbs with little moisture can be simply air dried. Sage and other herbs with large, meaty leaves require more time to air dry.
