Jun 17, Drying Herbs,Drying Fresh Herb,How to Dry Herbs

Tips for Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is one of the most convenient and simplest ways to preserve herb flowers and leaves. It is so simple to discover how to dry herbs that you can keep a full winter's supply for yourself and have plenty left over to give as gifts. We have gathered useful information for you on how to dry herbs.

Most people use one of the following three drying herbs methods: air drying on raised screens, hang the herbs to air dry, or drying in a dehydrator.Your choice of how to dry herbs depends on use of the herb and on its particular characteristics. For instance, for drying the herb Angelica: hang leaves and enclosed seed heads to air dry. Alternatively, cut roots into 2 inch pieces and dry in a dehydrator.

How to Dry Herbs

Bunches of herbs are decorative as they dry, long before they can be used in arrangements. Hang drying is an excellent way for you to preserve herbs, especially in large quantities. You need a dark, well-ventilated, dry place to hang the herbs. A spare room or attic could be an ideal spot by covering any windows to block sunlight from entering.

Harvest herbs for hang drying as early in the day as possible. You do not have to bother with washing them. If you must rinse the herbs, let the surface moisture completely evaporate before bunching the herbs. Spread the rinsed herbs on a slatted drain rack to allow the air to circulate, which speeds drying.

Tie small bunches of herbs using elastic thread, rubber bands, or twist ties. Hang the bunches so that air circulates freely around them. If you are drying cooking herbs, enclose the bunches in paper bags. This will keep insects off your herbs and prevent them from getting dusty as they dry. The herbs take a bit longer to dry using this method but remain dust and insect free.

It may take up to 3 weeks under the proper conditions to drying herbs when they are enclosed in paper bags. If your drying conditions are somewhat humid, drape cheesecloth over herbs drying on a screen. The open weave of cheesecloth permits adequate air circulation around the herbs while keeping most of the dust out as well.

Hang the herbs at least 12 inches from the wall. Leave about 6 inches between bunches. An expandable laundry rack makes a handy and portable dryer when you only have a few bunches to dry. You can arrange the drying rack in a permanent location by screwing small hooks into the ceiling at 3 foot intervals in rows across the room. Afterward, run strings down each row of hooks. Tie the herb bunches to the strings.

After trying your hand at how to dry herbs, most herbs will be dry in a couple of weeks after being hung in dark, well-ventilated, dry conditions.

When they are completely dried, the herbs feel crackly crisp. You can either use them immediately or store for later uses. When your cooking herbs are dried, remove the leaves from the stems. Store in tightly sealed jars, bottles, or other containers in a dark cabinet. Since nearly all the moisture has been removed, dried herb flavors are more concentrated than freshly harvested ones.

It is recommended to decrease the amount to one-third of what you would normally add if using fresh picked herbs in your homemade recipes.

Go to herb gardening tips from Drying Herbs


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