Drying Herbs

Parent Cafe
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I could put this in the garden thread but maybe others not there will have input.

Wondering how/if/with what you have had success drying herbs - especially without a dehydrator.

I’ve been looking up methods. I’m seeing tie in bundles and hang in a warm, dry well ventilated space, paper towel method for 7-10 days or oven method, low and slow.

I love having chives through the winter which I just cut from my garden and snip into small pieces and place in a glass jar which I keep in the freezer.

This year I also have LOTS of rosemary, thyme and sage so would like to preserve them.

Also have tons of basil - but don’t know about drying basil because it has more moisture? Parsley too.

Share any tips, successes or fails you’ve had - and with what herb!

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I find with tying them up in bunches, the center of the bunch never properly dries out. Instead, I spread them on a cooling rack and set them in an out of the way spot in my house for a week or two. This works well for basil, oregano and mint. Dill is trickier because as soon as it starts to dry, it tends to crumble and get everywhere, so I would suggest putting a baking tray below the cooling rack to catch it as it dries.

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I have been drying herbs for years. I put them on a parchment lined baking sheet in a very low temperature oven (180 degrees), with the door slightly open. Bake for 2-4 hours depending on the herbs. You know they are done when they crumble.

Make sure your oven isn’t on convection though or it will “blow” the herbs off the tray and all over the oven (ask me how I know ; )).

I do that with sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. My chives always seem to last all through the year so I go out and clip it fresh even in the winter.

I don’t like drying basil and instead prefer to freeze it. Wash and dry the basil, throw in a freezer bag with some olive oil drizzled into the bag. When you need basil, you can easily tear off however much you leave and it defrosts instantly in the hot food.

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This works for basil?? Does it discolor but still taste good?

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yes and yes.

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Good ideas! I always thought that washing the basil made it turn brown ? And you don’t take the leaves off the stems??

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Yes, take the leaves off the stems!

I freeze the basil immediately after rinsing/patting dry and it stays green. (I think the olive oil helps).

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Another herb question…I grew sage this year mainly because I love how it looks - and smells -in flower bouquets. :slight_smile: I don’t use it much in cooking though! Tell me how you use sage.

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I adore sage! It’s one of my favorites. I especially love it with eggs and nearly any pork products (sausage, chops, tenderloin, etc…). I also use it in my spice blends with beef too.

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Anyone have experience with lavender?

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I dry herbs in the microwave – wrap them in a barely damp towel, nuke, check, repeat. You have to cool them off, but then they crunch right up and I store them in mason jars.

Freezing basil? That’s brilliant!

There’s always more sage than any human can use for culinary purposes. But sage and butter on pasta is pretty tasty

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Well, not for edible purposes but I can confirm that sage in a bouquet of garden flowers is beautiful!

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My husband dehydrates all of the time, we have a large toaster oven/air fryer with a dehydrate setting, but I think before this one he just dehydrated on a low temperature. Chives, scallions, basil, oregano, hot peppers, tarragon, figs - all from the garden. In the past we’d make a batch of pesto to freeze at the end of summer, but want to try this How to Make Basil Salt - California Grown

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That salt is so interesting! I wonder how well it keeps. This would be fun to make for little gifts. I think either basil or rosemary would be lovely!

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Fresh sage is delicious in stuffing for turkey!

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I simply cut whole stems off the plant (oregano is monstrously prolific) and lay them on our courtyard table in full sun. They dry quickly in the AZ weather.

DH is the biggest user of sage, mostly for holiday cooking and egg scrambles.

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Favorite storage containers for dried herbs? Glass? Plastic? Ziploc?

I have used these in the past for homemade spice blends (using already jarred single spices)
https://a.co/d/gO6l6Qp

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Since salt is a natural preservative I think it doesn’t spoil.

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Yes on sage for poultry, especially turkey, but all with gnocchi.

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DH got me little Ball jars that come with shaker lids, they are pretty handy and compact

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