Air Drying:
Cut sprigs several inches in length then strip the bottom leaves to expose a few inches
of bare stems. Gather into small, loose bunches---you want to leave room around the leaves for air to circulate.
Tie stems together very tightly, as stems will shrink as they dry. Use string or rubber
bands. Hang the bunch upside down in a warm, dry place, with circulation, and out of direct sunlight. It may take up to 2
weeks for herbs to dry, depending on humidity. Leaves will be brittle and crumbly when completely dried. Drying herbs slowly
will help them to retain their color, and also the volatile oils contained in the herbs that give them each its unique flavor
and aroma. The ideal temperature for air drying herbs is 100 degrees. A well-ventilated attic is an ideal place to dry herbs.
In cooler temperatures, the herbs will take more time to dry.
Herbs can also be air-dried on screens, which is a good method for drying herbs that
have stems too short to be gathered into a bunch, or for loose leaves. Turn leaves frequently to insure thorough, even drying
of the herbs.
Dehydrator Drying:
Place herbs in a single layer on an herb screen in the dehydrator. (I
used vinyl window screening cut to fit into the dehydrator trays...much cheaper than buying herb screens!) Leave in the dehydrator,
rotating trays if necessary, until leaves pull off stems easily and are brittle.
Flower-press Drying:
This method takes up less space than air-drying by hanging or on a screen.
You can use a purchased flower-press, or make your own by using a stack of heavy books. Arrange the herbs in a singe layer
between sheets of paper towel. Place several thickness’ of newspaper between the layers (for example: newspaper-paper
towel-herbs-paper towel-newspaper-paper towel-herbs-paper towel-newspaper, etc.)
Pressed herbs will take longer to dry--up to 6 weeks, maybe longer. They
will not need to be checked or turned as often. They also will dry flat rather than retaining their natural shape. When dry,
crumble leaves into an airtight container for storage.
Storing Dried Herbs:
When completely dried, remove leaves from the stems.
The herbs can then be stored
in airtight containers, such as jars. Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to one year.
Hint: Be
sure to store in containers as soon as possible after drying.... I tried drying some basil in the dehydrator and turned it
off when the leaves were dried, but didn't package them up right away. It was a humid summer day, and the leaves quickly absorbed
moisture from the air and I had to re-dry them!
If stored before completely dried, they will mold.
Freezing Herbs:
Freezing preserves more of the fresh flavor of herbs than drying.
The disadvantage
is that you have your freezer full of green ice cubes!
Basil, tarragon, sage and mint can be frozen by removing leaves from the stems; more
delicate herbs can be dried in sprigs;
chives can be cut into 1/2" pieces.
Except for basil, dill and chives, blanch
the leaves or stems of the herbs
by placing them in a colander
and pouring boiling water over them for 1 second.
Spread
out on paper towels to dry.
When dry, place in a single layer on a baking sheet,
freeze for several hours.
Quickly place in ziploc bags and seal.
Do not refreeze herbs once they are thawed.
Another way herbs can be frozen is to chop the leaves and place 1 T. into ice cube
tray sections. Spoon 1 T. water over the herbs and freeze. Then store the cubes in an airtight container in the freezer. Then
take out as many cubes as needed.
Note: If using fresh herbs in place of dried herbs,
double the measurement. Only use fresh herbs if the mixture will be used immediately...if making a mixture that is to be stored,
use only herbs that are completely dried.
