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Home Home and Family Garden Tips For Drying Garden Herbs
Tips For Drying Garden Herbs PDF Print E-mail
Written by Lee Dobbins   
Although many people grow herbs only for their beautiful flowers and aromatic fragrance, there are many reasons to harvest them for the purpose they were meant to be grown for. Medicines and seasonings are two that are useful at home and there is a market for. Proper preservation techniques are required to get the most out of your harvest. Drying garden herbs by traditional methods such as bag, tray and air drying are the most popular but new methods such as using a microwave are being used by more people.
by LeeDobbins


Although many people grow herbs only for their beautiful flowers and aromatic fragrance, there are many reasons to harvest them for the purpose they were meant to be grown for. Medicines and seasonings are two that are useful at home and there is a market for. Proper preservation techniques are required to get the most out of your harvest. Drying garden herbs by traditional methods such as bag, tray and air drying are the most popular but new methods such as using a microwave are being used by more people.

A variety of herbs have lovely flowers. Some of their seeds can be harvested. In this case you will dry the flower over a sheet of paper. Next you curl the paper to make it easy to pour the seeds into the bag. This is the simplest way to preserve them. There are additional steps involved when you preserve the leaves.

In order for herbs to be dried out, the stems have to sit in water for a while, first you have to take off the flowers and roots from the stalk and make sure they are all clean and free of any debris, then into the water they go so anything that was left over will be loosened, last they need to be dried by being left out on a linen or paper towel.

Place your plant into a small paper bag with the (now removed) flower end inside and the stalks sticking out an inch or two from the bag. Tie the bag around the stalks, then place upside down. That means upside down from the point of view of the plant, so what you do is put the bag on its base with stems up. Oil from stems will move via capillary action into the leaves, where they will be saturated with aroma or flavor.

Within a week or two the brittle leaves will be easy to crumble, although the air needs to be moderately dry. Try not to break them at this point. Instead, seperate them and store them in an airtight jar. When you are ready to use them you can put them into potpourri or even crumble them to use as seasoning.

If you decide to use a tray for drying garden herbs only keep the leaf stems and leaves. Lay them flat on a tray without overlapping. Store them in a dark, well ventilated place free of moisture. Flip the leaves and stems everyday to ensure even drying. Your herbs should be dried within a few days with this method.

To save time, you can even dry your herbs in a microwave. Place them onto a paper towel or plate. This will aid absorption more than a microwave-safe plate. Place the machine on medium power and nuke for a few minutes. Exact times vary depending on the type and amount of herb, but two to three minutes should work for most.

Check relative dryness by rubbing a leaf between your forefinger and thumb. The leaf ought to be brittle, crumbling with little pressure. If not, try it again at half-minute intervals until you have found the right dryness for your intentions.

Warning: drying garden herbs in the microwave is time sensitive. A microwave oven causes evaporation by causing the moving water molecules in food to heat. Once moisture is gone you won't be drying the plant, and what's more, it is possible to harm your microwave. You will cook the herb if you have the power too high or set the time for too long. It is necessary to try different things until you discover what works for you particular circumstances.

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Please visit http://basicherbgardeningtips.com/ to find out more about how to dry fresh herbs.

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