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STEP-BY-STEP
Drying Herbs
JANET H. SANCHEZ
Illustrations by ELAYNE SEARS
USING HOME-DRIED HERBS
is a delightful way to bring the
flavor and aroma of your summer
garden to winter meals. Drying
herbs is an easy and satisfying
project, requiring little in the
way of equipment or time. More
important, home-dried herbs are
far fresher and tastier than
those bought commerically, which
may have been langishing in a
warehouse or on a supermarket
shelf for months. Popular
culinary choices include basil,
oregano, and rosemary. Herbs used
to brew soothing and flavorful
teas, such as mint, lemon
verbena, and lemon balm also dry
well. See the list below for more
selections.
1.
Harvesting
While herbs can be dried at any
stage of development, their
volatile oils, which give them
their flavor, are most
concentrated when the plants are
forming flowers. For the best
flavor, harvest in the morning,
when the oils are concentrated in
the leaves. Use scissors or sharp
pruning shears to cut the stems
cleanly, rather than breaking or
pulling them. During the growing
season, you can safely cut your
herbs back by as much as
two-thirds —as the plants
regrow, you will be able to
harvest more stems later. For
perennials, stop harvesting four
to six weeks before your first
expected frost to prevent new
growth, which is susceptible to
damage.
2.
Sorting and
Cleaning
Pick through your harvest and
discard any leaves that are
yellowed or damaged. Wash any
that are dusty by filling a
bucket with clean tap water and
swishing them around gently in
it. Shake off the water and pat
them dry with towels or whirl
them in a salad
spinner.
3.
Bunching and Drying
Keep your bunches small —about a
half-dozen to a dozen stems— so that air
can circulate easily around the stems. Tie
the bunches together with rubber bands and
hang them from hooks in the ceiling or
from unbent paper clips attached to wires
stretched across the room. (Rubber bands
work better to bind the bunches than does
string, since string will loosen as the
herbs dry.) To retain their maximum flavor
and color, dry your herbs in a dark and
airy location, such as a garage, attic, or
spare bedroom. The temperature should be
warm, but not hot —70 to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit is ideal. Herbs with large,
relatively thick leaves, such as sage,
will dry faster with less chance of
spoiling if you remove the leaves from the
stems and lay them in a single layer on a
piece of window screening. Elevate the
screen with strips of wood to promote air
circulation and turn the leaves daily to
hasten drying.
4. Stripping
Drying
time can vary from a few days to a couple
of weeks, depending on the type of herb,
air circulation, and the weather. Check
your herbs every day or two. When the
leaves feel crisp and crumble easily, they
are ready for storage. Strip the leaves
into a bowl or paper bag. Try to keep them
whole so that they retain the most
flavor.
5. Storing
Place
the leaves in glass jars with
tight-fitting lids. If you have a large
quantity of any one herb, put it in
several smaller jars rather then one large
one, since the leaves in unopened jars
will retain flavor longer. Label the jars
with the name of the herb and the date.
While jars of dried herbs look attractive
on a shelf near the stove, the herbs will
retain their flavor and color longer if
stored away from heat and light. A dark,
cool cabinet is ideal. Check the jars
after a few days to see if any moisture
has condensed on the inner surface. If
this happens, remove the herbs and spread
them out on a rack or tray to dry further.
Most dried herbs will retain their
volatile oils for about a year. Plan on
renewing your supply annually for best
flavor (if cooking doesn't naturally
deplete it).
OTHER
WAYS TO PRESERVE
HERBS: Freezing retains the flavor of
soft-leaved herbs, though it makes them
limp. After rinsing and drying, simply
remove the leaves from their stems, place
them in labeled freezer bags, seal the
bags tightly, and put them in the freezer.
Using an artificial heat source to speed
up the drying process can be tricky, since
herbs will quickly loose their flavor if
overheated. One successful method however,
is to dry them in a food dehydrator set at
95 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. You can
also try using your conventional gas oven
using the heat of the pilot light. Spread
the herbs on a baking sheet and place the
sheet in the oven, leaving the door ajar.
Check and stir the herbs every half hour.
Maintaining low enough temperatures in an
electric oven is more difficult. Try
preheating it to its lowest setting and
turning it off before placing your herbs
in the oven. Microwaving is riskier, and
often leads to poor results. If you want
to experiment with it, sandwich the herbs
between paper towels and heat them for one
minute on the lowest setting. If they are
not dry, repeat in intervals of a few
seconds until they feel crumbly.
—J.H.S.
ADDITIONAL
HERBS THAT DRY
READILY: dill leaf, sage, marjoram, parsley, summer or
winter savory, tarragon, thyme
The Herb Society of America
is dedicated to promoting the knowledge, use, and
delight of herbs. Membership includes a seed
exchange, publications, conferences, and tours.
Write them at 9019 Kirtland Chardon Road, Kirtland,
OH 44094 or call 216 -256 -0541 or visit their
website for more details.
—J.H.S.
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