Drying is an effective way to preserve your herb leaves for future recipes or tea infusions. Herb drying methods include hanging the herbs upside down, laying them out in the sun and microwave drying. A food dehydrator offers another option for herb lovers, providing the herbs with warm, dry air, which seals in the natural oils, enhancing flavor. Oregon University explains that the newest leaves, produced at the top of the plant, hold the most flavors. Picking your herbs before they flower, will help prevent the leaves from tasting bitter after drying.
Step 1
Pick your herbs in the early morning, after the dew evaporates. Rinse the herbs under cool water to remove dirt, bugs or debris. Give them a shake to remove excess water after rinsing.
Step 2
Remove the herb leaves from their stems after rinsing. Place the herb leaves in a large bowl as you separate them from the stems. Discard the stems.
Step 3
Lay each of the herb leaves flat, in a single-layer on the tray of your food dehydrator. Remove any unused trays from the food dehydrator to promote maximum airflow around the drying herbs.
Step 4
Turn-on the food dehydrator, setting the thermostat to the lowest possible setting--100 degrees Fahrenheit is best. Set the timer on the food dehydrator to the shortest time, which is usually between one and four hours, if your food dehydrator does not have a thermostat option.
Step 5
Remove the dried herb leaves once the food dehydrator shuts-off. Place the herb leaves in a clean, brown paper bag.
Step 6
Close the paper bag. Add pressure to the bag, crushing the herb leaves, using the palms of your hands.
Step 7
Open the paper bag. Store the dried herb leaves in a container with a tight lid in between uses.
Tips and Warnings
- If you will not be using your herb leaves for tea or crumbled seasonings, feel free to store them whole. Skip the paper bag and place the whole herb leaves in the storage container.
- Do not use dried herb leaves in your teas or cooking if they show signs of mildew or mold. This is usually a sign that the leaves have met with some form of moisture during storage. Discard molded leaves immediately and choose a different container for storage of your future dried herbs. Do not set the food dehydrator thermostat higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Doing so can cause the leaves to over-dry, robbing them of flavorful oils.
Things You'll Need
- Cool water
- Large bowl
- Food dehydrator
- Brown paper bag
- Storage container with tight-fitting lid
