Drying Herbs: Fast and easy how-to

Step 2c

Step 2b

Dried herbs can be quite expensive for a very small amount of product. If you’ve been enjoying your own home grown herbs this summer, why not enjoy them through the winter as well!

Here’s a fast and easy how-to on drying herbs.

Step 1: Harvest your herbs, taking into consideration that you’ll get about 1/10 finished product from what you harvest.

Step 2

Step 2a: Remove the leaves from the stem; using your thumb and forefinger (photo 2b) rip leaf off above the stem as in photo 2c.

Step 3: Decide if you’ll use a dehydrator (photo 2) or your oven at 250 degrees (photo 4b).  Place your leaves in a single layer leaving space in between when using dehydrator so air can properly circulate. If drying in an oven, place in single layer tightly spaced on a cookie sheet. (4b)

Step 4b

Step 4b and Step 5: Once the leaves are completely dry, about an hour in the  oven or 3-4 hours in the dehydrator,  place leaves in a plastic bag.

Step 6: Crush the leaves in the bag.

I store all my herbs in glass mason jars with tight fitting lids for up to a year. They can be stored in plastic containers as well.

You can use this method with most herbs so go ahead and start harvesting your herbs and enjoy them all winter long!

Step 5

Step 6

Happy Day,
Jean