Drying Herbs

Dried herbs from your garden or the farmers market are not just cheaper, they taste way better and help cut down on waste! How long it takes to dry them really depends on the heat, humidity, and how you’re drying them. Once those leaves are nice and crispy, just rub ’em between your fingers to get rid of the stems. Make sure to pop those dried herbs in airtight containers to keep ‘em fresh!

The best time to harvest herbs is in the cool morning, just after the dew has evaporated. Look for stems that have plump flower buds that have yet to open.

Drying Methods

Air Drying–

Cut the stems off your herbs and just tie them together with a twist tie or a rubber band. If you’re worried about dust getting on them, you can wrap the bundles up loosely in some muslin to keep them clean, but honestly, it’s not a big deal if you skip that part.

Hang your bundles in a cozy, dry spot that gets plenty of fresh air. Grab an S hook to hang those herbs on a cute shelf or high rafters, and let them chill there until they’re completely dried out. Remember, heat rises, so the air up by the ceiling is warmer and will help things dry out faster!

Outdoor Sun Drying-

If you want to dry your herbs without spending much, why not turn an old picture frame you snagged from a thrift store into a drying rack? Just grab some window screen material, cut it a little bigger than the frame, and staple it on—easy peasy! Make sure to set the rack on some blocks to let air flow all around your herbs. If you’re in a bind, you can even steal a window screen from one of those unused windows in your house. Oh, and remember, don’t put your herbs in direct sunlight!

Dehydrating

If you’ve got herbs with a lot of moisture, like basil, mint, oregano, and tarragon, they’ll definitely mold if you take too long to dry them out. You can use a food dehydrator to give you more control over the process.

Oven Drying-

Just lay the leaves and stems on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Set the oven to low and keep the door propped open. Different ovens have different temp settings, but if you’ve got a newer one with a bread proofing option, go for that. If not, just try to keep it no hotter than 180 degrees for about 2-4 hours.