GardenMaid| Drying and Storing Your Herbs

Drying and Storing Your Herbs

One important part of herb gardening is drying the herbs for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with them. The will greatly extend the amount of time you can use them. You can make this as complicated as you like and there are several very different suggested methods. Sometimes the oldest, simplest methods are the best. Before we discuss the drying methods let's discuss picking them.

Harvesting The best time to harvest most herbs for drying is before the flowers open when they are in the bursting bud stage. If you've been harvesting all season, your plants may not be flowering. Do keep in mind that non-hardy herbs will start to decline as the weather cools, so late summer is a good time to begin drying your herbs. Try not to bruise the leaves as you harvest them. Rinse your herbs in cool water and remove any inferior leaves or stems at this time. Allow them to air dry at this time.

Air Drying Air Drying is the oldest method of preserving herbs. Just expose the herbs to warm dry air, out of direct sunlight in a well-ventilated area until they are dry and brittle. Exposing them to direct sunlight can cause a severe loss of color and flavor. Sturdy herbs such as sage, thyme, summer savory and parsley are the easiest to dry. They can be tied into small bundles and air-dried.

Tender-leaf herbs like basil, tarragon, lemon balm and the mints have higher moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly. These tender-leaf herbs or those with seeds are best tied into small bundles and suspended in a closed paper bag with holes. Place the bag in a area with the best air circulation so that the air can travel through the bags. Leaves and seeds that fall off will be caught in the bag.

Dehydrator Drying Dehydrator drying is a quick and easy way to dry quality herbs because temperature and air circulation can be precisely controlled. The dehydrator should be pre-heated to a temperature range between 95- 115 degrees. High humidity areas may need an extra 10 degrees. Drying times will vary from 1-4 hours. Check your dehydrator instruction manual for specific details. The herbs are dry when the leaves crumble and the stems are brittle and break when they are bent.

Other Drying An oven at the lowest setting or even the heat from an oven with a gas pilot can be used to slow dry some herbs. Experiment and have fun.

Packaging and Storing Dried foods are susceptible to insect contamination and moisture absorption. They should be properly packaged and stored immediately. If methods other than air drying have been used be sure that the herbs are completely cool before packaging as warm packaged items can sweat just enough to provide moisture for mold.

You may store them in clean dry jars, freezer containers or any other air-tight container. Try to store them in quantities that will be consumed in a meal or two as each time the package is opened you expose them to air and moisture. Consider using the snack sizes zip bags for the individual portions and keeping all the zip bags in a larger jar or container. Storage times for dried foods range from four months to a year.

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