How to dry herbs

Normally, fresh herbs are great to keep around for cooking and if you have a sunny window you can always make a nice little herb pot to keep growing indoors. However, fresh herbs don’t last forever and in order to get the most out of our herbs we need to preserve them in some way. Luckily, drying herbs is almost as easy as growing them. After the jump, find out how to dry herbs easily.

Here’s how the big leafed herbs like basil, oregano and mint:

1) Pick whole stalk (or buy from the farmer’s market)

2) Wash and pat dry

3) Hang by clothes pins on the clothes line in bright sun. If you don’t have a clothesline, look for a sunny spot where air circulates well.

4) Bring in at night (to avoid dew re-wetting them)

5) Hang one more day

6) When herbs are completely dry (they will be crispy textured), bring inside

7) Use fingers to rub off the leaves

8 ) Package in labeled glass jars or ziploc bags

Homegrown mint tea awaits us in winter

For more delicate herbs (thyme, chamomile), I modify the above steps by hanging them inside a cut up paper bag on the clothes line.

Notice the tiny cut holes in the sides

The bag catches any little pieces that might dry and fall off. This is particularly important for chamomile, as the best tea is made from the flowers.