If a great recipe leaves you with leftover fresh herbs, don't leave them to wilt away in the fridge. A few minutes in the microwave can have them ready for long-term storage.
Household tips and tricks blog TipNut.com has a guide to drying fresh herbs in your microwave, oven, or in the open air. To microwave your herbs, wash them carefully, then pat dry to remove all extra moisture. Then, through the magic of controlled radiation:
Place herbs in a single layer on a paper towel, cover with another paper towel. Place in microwave and heat for 2 minutes on high. Turn paper towel and microwave for another 1 minute or reheat in 30 second intervals until herbs are dry and brittle.
The microwave method is radically more expedient than using the oven or air drying, which take several hours and several weeks respectively. Make sure to watch the herbs carefully and dry them in small increments, though—you don't want them to be tinder for a microwave fire. Before storing your herbs, ensure they are completely dry and check their container condensation the following day. If there is even a small amount of moisture, discard the herbs, because it's not worth the risk of mold exposure. Need a source for those fresh, then dry, herbs? Get started with one of our favorite house hacks, an indoor one-pot herb garden. Photo by shawnbot.