Growing Herbs for Drying

Drying herbs is an easy way to put up your garden harvest.  And honestly, dried herbs from your garden vs. dried herbs will blow your mind {and your taste buds}.

The herbs from your garden will not be exposed to so many heat fluctuations {from shipping}, bright florescent lights in the stores {for who knows how long}, and so they will taste sooooo much fresher and stronger.

As an added bonus, dried herbs make really unique hostess gifts around the holidays.  My point is:  grow you some.

Some herbs dry and store better than others.  Cilantro, for example, is on the no-dry list {which is kind of like the no-fly list for herbs}.  It loses its flavor, and in general, is best enjoyed fresh.

The following herbs perform really well when dried {feats of strength, acrobatic maneuvers, etc.}:

Marjoram.  Marjoram is easy  to grow and great on pretty much any meat.  It tastes a bit like oregano.  When used fresh, it is sensitive to heat, but when dried, you get all the flavor and none of the fickleness.

 

Mint.  Yes, you can totally dry mint.  It’s great in homemade teas…and even desserts.  The key to growing mint is to understand it is basically like a weed.

It will grow like mad–taking over areas of the yard you hadn’t anticipated.  It will grow in shade, sun…seriously, this stuff could survive an atomic bomb.  Soooo, it’s best to plant it in containers, so that you can, well, contain it.

 

Sage.  Sage is a staple herb in my house.  It grows easily from seed, and often will come back year after year in mild climates.   It’s fantastic for slow roasted meats and crock pot dishes.

 

Thyme.  Thyme is another staple, in my opinion.  Again, it will survive mild winters and is really easy to grow from seed.  It likes full sun.  It’s great for soups and stews. To dry it, harvest the leaves.

 

Oregano.  If you are a fan of making pretty much any Italian dish, you are going to want to have this stuff on hand.  It’s a hardy perennial, so whether you grow it from seed or start by buying a plant, it will more than pay for itself.

 

Rosemary.  Rosemary is one of those herbs that will grow year round in milder climates.  If you have tough winters, though, it dries really well.  It’s great for meats and adds a really earthy flavor.

Rosemary leaves look more like small pine needles, so if you are not drying it on the stalk, it’s best to cut the stalks off and run your thumb and point finger down the stem to remove the needles {I would do this over a bowl, obviously}.

 

Tarragon. Tarragon is easy enough to grow, but you’ll have to get a cutting or plant start, because it does not grow from seed.  It is popular to use in salad dressings and vinegars.  It has a licorice flavor.

There are obviously others not listed, but these are the easiest to grow, harvest, and dry. When harvesting your herbs, it is best to wait until they have full foliage and they will taste best when flowers start to form, but haven’t bloomed yet.

To harvest, snip off the top 6″ of the stem.  Remove any flowers with a snippet-y-snip too.  Most foodies recommend not washing your herbs, because the water can negatively affect the drying process.

I prefer to wash mine, though, because I am a gardening rebel.  Once I have washed them, I pat them dry and then leave them out in a single layer to dry completely.

To dry your herbs, you can choose from several methods.  The first is the “classic” bundle and hang upside down.  Tie the stems into bundles using a little twine or string.

Hang them upside down in a dry, warm, DARK spot.  Fluctuations in light and humidity can seriously affect the quality of the resulting herbs.  This method works great if you really are looking for simple and no-cost.

My personal favorite method is the dehydrator.  I personally remove the herbs from their stalks and lay the leaves out in single layers on my dehydrator trays.

I allow them to dry until they are brittle to the touch.  I like this method because, one it is faster than the traditional route, and two, it eliminates the potential for mold to form.

I have not personally tried this method, but I do know people who use it:  screen drying.  You basically lay the leaves out on a screen {and old clean window screen would work great} and then place them in a warm dry spot to dry.  Y

ou want to avoid any direct sunlight and make sure there isn’t a breeze that will take up your precious little herbs like the feather on Forrest Gump.

Finally, you can use the oven or microwave.  For the oven, spread the leaves out onto cookie sheets and dry at 200 until the leaves are brittle to the touch.

You’ll want to check them often.  For the microwave, place a few sprigs at a time in between two paper towel and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

No matter what your method, once they are dry, you can crush your herbs to desired size {I like to use a clean coffee grind for this step} and then store in airtight containers.

Will you be drying herbs this year?  What are your favorites and how do you dry them?

~Mavis

Oh, and just in case you don’t want to take the time to dry your herbs, you can always freeze fresh herbs in olive oil, for a quick drop in the pan seasoning.