Dry Your Herbs in the Fridge
(Page 2 of 2)
August/September 1993
By Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay
To store them, we transfer the freshly dried herbs to jars or other containers with tight lids or to plastic freezer bags (we like to double-bag to ensure freshness) and pop them into the freezer. Storing in the refrigerator is another option, but we think that freezer storage gives the best results as well as affording us the most space. The airtight containers prevent the herbs from absorbing moisture over time.
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The obvious drawback to refrigerator drying is that large quantities aren’t feasible. Refrigerator space is at a premium for most families, and trying to balance numerous trays and plates of herbs among the bowls and bottles can be frustrating. We use this method most often when we have leftovers, either from fixing large meals or after class demonstrations.
Faith Swanson, a friend who has been growing herbs for as long as she can remember, discovered refrigerator drying years ago in the same serendipitous fashion that we did. Each year, she toys with different ways of refining her method in an effort to save space. Rather than using trays or plates, Faith wraps leaves and stems very loosely in stiff, sheer tulle fabric, then ties the bundles with a piece of nylon from pantyhose. The tulle bundles can be tucked into niches, propped up on the shelves of the refrigerator door, or dangled from the sides and ceiling of the refrigerator compartment, clipped to magnets that keep them out of the way. Using this method enables Faith to avoid knocking things over and making messes while reaching for that tarragon or summer savory that has achieved the perfect state of dryness and is ready for longer storage in her freezer. The little bundles take several weeks to dry during the relatively humid Ohio summer, perhaps due to less air circulation than when laid out flat, but the principle is the same and the quality of the herbs appears to be outstanding.
One might think that if drying in the fridge works, drying in the freezer would be even better, but we haven’t found that to be true. The water within the herbs freezes, breaking down cell walls and turning some herbs dark and mushy before they have had a chance to dry. Some herbs, such as parsley and chives, we still prefer to freeze directly, not as part of a drying process.
Using the refrigerator to dry herbs is a beautifully simple idea. Those chopped herbs in the back of the fridge that you forgot about last week? Just taste them.
Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay are a friendly mother-and-daughter team of tremendous herbal experience. They write from and garden at their home in Cleveland, Texas, and they travel and teach about growing and using herbs.
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