I’m always using dried herbs, but I never realized how easy it was to dry them myself. You can save a whole lot of money and feel better about where your herbs are coming from by drying them yourself. This step-by-step guide to drying your own herbs is super straightfoward and all you need to get started. Enjoy!
Step-By-Step Guide to Drying Your Own Herbs
1. If you are growing the herbs yourself, cut the leaves just before the plant blossoms, because this is when its essential oils content is highest. Snip them on a dry, hot day when there is no dew on the leaves.
2. Wash leaves and roots thoroughly, using a vegetable brush to scrub roots.
3. Cut the stems about 6 inches below flower buds.
4. Tie leaves in small bunches and hang them in the sun, perhaps on a laundry line, until the water in them evaporates.
5. Move the leave bunches indoors, to a place that is well-ventilated, away from direct light, and dry.
6. Hang the bunches upside down so that the oils gather in the leaves. You can wrap them in a brown paper bag with holes for ventilation as they hang to prevent dust from gathering.
7. After 3-4 days, leaves should be adequately dried. If it takes longer, place them in a 100-degree Fahrenheit oven until they dry.
8. When dried, remove the leaves fro the stems.
9. To test herbs if they are dry enough to store, place them into tightly sealed jars in a warm place for about a week. If moisture appears inside the jar, the herbs are not ready. Let them hang to dry longer or repeat step 7 (in the oven) until they dry.
Photo Credit: Caitlinator