Earlier this week, we learned how to prune our rapidly growing basil plants, but do you know how to dry the herbs you’ve harvested? It probably sounds incredibly intimidating–at least, it did to me! But you might be surprised at how simple the process actually is, keep reading for my favorite way to dry my homegrown herbs! Nothing tastes better!
Before you begin, it’s important to consider the kinds of herbs you have to dry! Are you growing Oregano or Dill? More often than not, these herbs taste best when dried by the “air dry method.” But if you are growing a herb like mint or basil, it’s often best that you stick ’em in your oven!
How to Air Dry
Tie bundles of your herbs together with a small rubber band or piece of twine. Your bundles should be about 4-5 “branches” thick. Make sure your stems are facing up, and place your herbs in a brown paper bag. Poke a few air holes for good measure, and stick the bag in a warm, dry place. In about 7 days your herbs will be fully dried! Easy, right?
How to Oven Dry
Keep your oven on the lowest setting it can go (mine was set to about 125 degrees) and place your herb leaves on a baking sheet. The process should take about 4 hours! You’ll know your herbs are ready when they easily crumble in between your fingertips!
Didn’t I tell you that was easy? Although the process(es) are time consuming, they require little effort on your part. Once you taste a homegrown, home dried herb, you’ll never go back to those store bought brands!
I love your post here, but I am a little confused by the pictures because your directions say to dry the herbs in a bag, and most sites I visited say to place them in a dark (away from sunlight) warm room but yours are all hanging out in the open air!
I’m sure there are different methods for drying herbs. Try them both and see which works better for you! Be sure to let us know what you find! 🙂