Well, this year I was able to get a great crop on many.
I have a short clip below to show you my herb garden.
Drying these are fun and easy.
Washed, dry and by choosing a simple method you can have the best-tasting additions to any meal all year long!
Hope you get to have some fresh herbs growing in your kitchens or garden this year they make the best in flavors in all your soups and stews!
All the methods are a little different and it depends on what you are using it for.
I tend to like the frozen herbs for topping pizza or adding to stews for that green fresh taste.
Dried are great too, it's a matter of preference.
Try them a few different ways and you can decide what you like best.
To save these instructions, scroll down to the end for a printable recipe card.
Easy To Do!
Drying your own herbs is much more economical than purchasing them in the store, plus you don't know how long they been sitting there.
If you are lucky to grow your own herb garden all year long outside like we do in Florida, then here are some tips here for you!
If I lived in the Northern States, I would have pots in the window sills growing them, nothing like fresh herbs in your meals!
Of course, you can freeze the leaves also for a fresher taste. I love using the dried herbs for sprinkling on salads, stews, pizzas, bread and so much more.
Here is the way I make the most of my crops every year and I even have a blackberry bush I maintain for jams.
This year I have grown parsley, basil, rosemary, mint, and some oregano.
I also have dill growing but it wasn't ready to photograph!
Methods:
- Freeze
- Microwave
- Air Dry
- Dehydrator check instruction manual
- Oven Method
Tips
- Wash and dry fresh herbs
- Cut off stems
- Dry on paper towels
- Microwave is the fastest method
- Store in a mason jar for dried
Whatever You Grow
I love all herbs, I would love to have them all growing in a pot and just use them fresh, but
unfortunately, the weather doesn't always cooperate, not even in Florida.
So, personally, my favorite method is freezing, it stays a prettier color and just seems fresher to me.
I do it two ways, flat in a freezer bag or in ice cube trays.
You can make them every way, they're easy, economical and figure out the way you like the way they taste the best.
Suggestions
Try to pick the parsley as early in the morning as you can after the dew has evaporated.
Cut the stems off and reserve the leaves on parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, basil, mint or any other leafy herb. (I usually freeze my rosemary sprigs.)
Wash them very good and make sure you salvage just the healthy leaves
I use a salad spinner to dry off the wet herbs using.
Oven Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees although not necessary I do this to make it warm in the oven. Then turn it down to 250 degrees.
Takes anywhere between 2 to 4 hours to dry. I keep stirring it around too and checking it making sure it doesn't singe.
Note: remember you can air dry it but it takes a lot longer! I then line a cookie sheet with a single layer of leaves and place on the top rack of the oven to dry overnight until it's dried and crumbly.
If there is a thickness of leaves then I set it on the lowest oven setting and dry to speed it up for around 4 hours since I have a lot even if I am trying to air dry.
When it crumbles easily, place all the dried herbs in a mason jar. I do a medley of all kinds of herbs in one jar for stew and toppings.
Air Dry
Indoor tie stems in bundles with string, and hang the herbs upside down.
Use twist-ties so you can easily tighten the bundles when stems shrink as they dry.
A warm, dry spot is best not the kitchen where you cook. Wrap in a produce bag or a paper bag with several holes around the bundle, and tie it at the neck.
Note for rosemary: After washing and drying rosemary sprigs, bundle them together, tie them up at their bases, and hang in a well-ventilated area to air-dry.
Rosemary also dries evenly in the oven. Place sprigs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set the oven on the lowest temperature possible.
Freezing
Pack ice cube trays with chopped or whole leaf herbs, cover with water and pop into the freezer.
Once frozen, cubes can be transferred into a Ziploc bag or other airtight container for easy, single-serve access.
Add water and all frozen, to soups, stews and whatever your cooking!
Note: I have also washed the herbs, dried them with paper towels and placed them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze and add to freezer bags.
Microwaved
The microwave specifically targets water, drying your herbs faster than any other method and keeping them greener and fresher tasting than other dried herbs.
Separate the leaves of the herbs from the stems.
When using the microwaved method this will require you checking the herbs every 20 seconds to see if they are crumbly and dried and watch it carefully it doesn't burn.
You will need to use microwave approved plate lined a paper towel, herbs and top with another paper towels.
Microwave checking every 20 minutes, on high, for 1 minute.
More Helpful Methods in the Kitchen!
How to use Fresh Tomatoes
How to make pantry staples
How to make colors sugars
How to make extracts
Recipe Index
Watch my Quick Video on Drying Herbs
How To Dry Herbs
prep time: 5 Mcook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 5 M
This is how to preserve your garden herb crop with several method suggestions and easy, economical to do all year long for stews, pizza, soups and more!
ingredients:
- Here all the methods for drying herbs:
- Freeze
- Microwave
- Air Dry
- Dehydrator check instruction manual
- Oven Method
instructions:
How to cook How To Dry Herbs
- Suggestions
- Try to pick the parsley as early in the morning as you can after the dew has evaporated.
- Cut the stems off and reserve the leaves on parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, basil, mint or any other leafy herb. (I usually freeze my rosemary sprigs.)
- Wash them very good and make sure you salvage just the healthy leaves
- I use a salad spinner to dry off the wet herbs using.
- Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees although not necessary I do this to make it warm in the oven. Then turn it down to 250 degrees.
- Takes anywhere between 2 to 4 hours to dry. I keep stirring it around too and checking it making sure it doesn't singe.
- Note: remember you can air dry it but it takes a lot longer! I then line a cookie sheet with a single layer of leaves and place on the top rack of the oven to dry overnight until it's dried and crumbly.
- If there is a thickness of leaves then I set it on the lowest oven setting and dry to speed it up for around 4 hours since I have a lot even if I am trying to air dry.
- When it crumbles easily, place all the dried herbs in a mason jar. I do a medley of all kinds of herbs in one jar for stew and toppings.
- Air Dry
- Indoor tie stems in bundles with string, and hang the herbs upside down.
- Use twist-ties so you can easily tighten the bundles when stems shrink as they dry.
- A warm, dry spot is best not the kitchen where you cook. Wrap in a produce bag or a paper bag with several holes around the bundle, and tie it at the neck.
- Note for rosemary: After washing and drying rosemary sprigs, bundle them together, tie them up at their bases, and hang in a well-ventilated area to air-dry.
- Rosemary also dries evenly in the oven. Place sprigs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set the oven on the lowest temperature possible
- Freezing
- Pack ice cube trays with chopped or whole leaf herbs, cover with water and pop into the freezer.
- Once frozen, cubes can be transferred into a Ziploc bag or other airtight container for easy, single-serve access.
- Add water and all frozen, to soups, stews and whatever your cooking!
- Note: I have also washed the herbs, dried them with paper towels and placed them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze and add to freezer bags.
- Microwaved
- The microwave specifically targets water, drying your herbs faster than any other method and keeping them greener and fresher tasting than other dried herbs.
- Separate the leaves of the herbs from the stems.
- When using the microwaved method this will require you checking the herbs every 20 seconds to see if they are crumbly and dried and watch it carefully it doesn't burn.
- You will need to use microwave approved plate lined a paper towel, herbs and top with another paper towels.
- Microwave checking every 20 minutes, on high, for 1 minute.
- If you have a dehydrator, check the owners manual for instructions.
How To Dry Herbs Pin for Later
No comments
Remember to use the search option for a recipe you're looking for and thanks for all your kind words and support. We love our readers all the best Claudia