The Low-Tech Art of Drying Herbs

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Most fast-drying herbs are crispy dry within a week or less, depending on the moisture in the air. In a period of humid weather or if you’re in a hurry, you can finish drying the herbs by laying them out on a cookie sheet (don’t crowd them), then removing some of the stems to reduce bulk. Place the sheet in an oven on the lowest setting, no higher than 150 degrees. Stir them regularly. If you smell the herbs as they’re drying, the temperature is too high.

Once the leaves are crispy dry and the stems are brittle, it’s time to strip the leaves. On a flat surface, spread a double sheet of newspaper under a large, wide bowl. Hold the bundle of herbs over the bowl, pull off the rubber band, then, taking one or a few stems at a time, remove the leaves with a quick downward motion of your free hand. An alternative stripping method is to roll the whole bunch back and forth between the palms of your hands. I leave the herbs as whole as possible for herb teas, or rub them through a colander to produce uniform flakes for herb mixes. Store herbs in labeled jars in a cupboard away from light, where they keep in prime condition for a year or more.

Jo Ann Gardner is a gardener, writer and cook living in the Adirondacks of New York. One of her recent projects included serving as contributing editor to Flora: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia (Timber Press, 2003). 

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