Drying your own herbs is easier and more economical than buying herbs at the supermarket. Of all methods of preserving food, drying is the simplest.
Once the drying process is started, it shouldn’t be interrupted because molds can develop on dried foods held at room temperature. Sun drying is the least expensive way to dry herb leaves and seeds, but if there is any chance of rain, excess moisture or dew, you should dry your herbs in the oven.
Before you begin drying your herbs, be sure to wash leaves and roots thoroughly. Use a vegetable brush to scrub roots.
Some herbs that dry well are basil, chervil, lemon verbena, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme. First, cut the leaves for drying just before blossoming time when the plant’s stock of essential oils are highest. Cut them on a hot, dry day as soon as the dew is off the plants. The tip growth is best for drying so cut the stems about 6 inches below the flower buds. Leaves won’t need washing unless they are dusty or have been thickly mulched.
Tie leaves in small bunches and hang them in the sun just until the water evaporates. Then move them out of the sun to a warm, dry well-ventilated place away from any bright light. hang the bunches with the leaves down so oils will flow from the stems into the leaves. To prevent dust from getting on the plants, put them in a brown paper bag. Be sure to cut holes in the bag so air can circulate.
Leaves are best when dried for 3 or 4 days, but if they aren’t dry in 2 weeks put them in a 100-degree oven until thoroughly dry. When dry, remove leaves from the stems.
An easy way to dry seeds such as anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, dill and fennel is to hang the whole plant upside down inside a paper bag. The bag will catch the seeds as they dry and fall from the pods.
Herb roots such as angelica, burdock, comfrey, ginger, ginseng and sassafras dry well if cut from the dormant stage during fall and winter. Slice thick roots lengthwise for quicker drying. Heat herbs on a baking sheet in the oven on the lowest possible setting for 6 to 8 hours. Roots should be brittle and hard when they are dry.
“It’s important to test your herbs and make sure they are dry before you store them,” says Evelyn F. Crayton, a foods and nutrition specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. To test herb leaves, put them in tightly sealed jars in a warm place for about a week. Check the jars regularly for moisture. If moisture appears on the inside of the jar or on the lid, take them out and dry them some more.
Before you store any herbs dried in the sun or open air, heat them in an oven at 160 degrees for 10 minutes to kill any insects or insect eggs that may have accumulated. Store dried herbs in a cool dry place in glass jars or tins. Also, leaves and seeds retain more flavor if they are stored whole and crushed before use.
To substitute dried herbs for fresh ones, use 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs for 1 tablespoon of fresh.
SOURCE: EVELYN F. CRAYTON, EXTENSION FOODS AND NUTRITION SPECIALIST, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (334) 844-2224.
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