Good cooks prefer fresh ingredients, especially fresh culinary herbs that add flavor and aroma to favorite dishes. In summer, outdoor herb gardens are not just utilitarian but beautiful, and relatively easy to maintain. Unfortunately, indoor herb gardening can be tricky and growing useful quantities and varieties often requires far too much space.
Drying and storing fresh picked garden herbs is the next best way to enjoy their flavor throughout the year. Plus it saves money over buying fresh and, especially, dried herbs at the supermarket.
Picking Herbs for Drying
As with so many things, timing is everything when it comes to harvesting herbs from an outdoor garden. The exact time, of course, will depend on the growing season and the weather. In many regions herb plants can remain healthy well into late fall, with heartier plants like sage and rosemary lasting longer. Herbs, like basil, with tender leaves or those that hold moisture, such as chives or tarragon, should be harvested before the first frost, after which they will lose flavor.
Choose only leaves that are deep in color, un-mottled, and aromatic. Try not to let herb plants like basil go to seed, and parsley stalks should not be "woody." Parsley and herbs that will be dried by hanging should be harvested with their stems. For basil and mints, pick only the leaves.
Drying Parsley, Sage, Thyme and Other Hearty Herbs
Hearty herbs can be air-dried more slowly by tying them in bunches by their stalks and hanging them in a cool, dry place. Depending on the weather, this can be done out-of-doors, particularly in a screened-in porch or sheltered part of a patio or deck. However, wet or humid weather may cause leaves to discolor and loose flavor. In this case, drying herbs indoors works better.
Basil, Tarragon, Mints, and Other Tender Herbs with High Moisture Content
More tender herbs with high moisture content will mold if dried slowly. The best method is to dry these herbs in a cool oven.
- Lay paper towels on a cookie sheet and spread leaves out separately. By layering them on paper towels, three or four layers can be dried at one time using this method.
- Place the cookie sheet in a slightly warmed oven––about 100 degrees F.
- Dry until the leaves are crispy and can be crumpled easily with the fingers.
Due to its broad leaves and high moisture content, basil can also be frozen. Leaves should be rinsed lightly (a spray is best) and dried between paper towels. Then leaves can be packed loosely in a container or freezer bag. When cooking, leaves should be used straight from the freezer and not thawed. Frozen leaves crumble easily and make a pesto nearly as good as fresh.
Chives
Chives are easiest to dry. Choose firm but not woody stalks, and snip them into the size pieces desired. Spread them on a cookie sheet or plate and set them out of the way in a warm room until they are crisp but not easily crumbled.
Storing Herbs
Dried herbs are susceptible to insects. A common mistake is leaving herbs hanging too long after drying. All dried herbs need to be stored properly. Oven-dried herbs need to be cooled completely otherwise they may "sweat" in the containers and mold. All dried herbs should be stored in air-tight containers like jars, plastic containers, or herb jars. Containers should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place like a kitchen cabinet or pantry, rather than the standard spice rack. This will retain the color, flavor, and fragrance.
Source:
Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center, Drying Herbs, Seeds and Nuts.
Nannette Croce - Nannette Croce is a writer and editor who has worked with online publications for more than ten years, most recently as Co-Managing Editor ...
