It’s nearing the end of what I hope was a bountiful gardening season. If you are anything like me you have an abundance of beautiful herbs, that if not harvested, will either go dormant or if they are annuals will slowly fade into the cold of winter. But not to worry. You can preserve what you love about fresh herbs and continue to use, although not fresh, throughout the winter season.
From soups to stews, dry roasts for chicken, fish and lamb or for pork-lovers, dried herbs are the notes you have been looking for to add to your hearty winter recipes.
So, how do you preserve all that goodness? One of the easiest ways is to dry them. One of the advantages of drying your own is you know what’s in them. Many commercial brands may have fillers or other things and no one wants that. Having said that, I do use commercial brands in a pinch, but my first go-to is always from my own herb garden. Another advantage is the big economic one. From a few packages of seeds you can have an entire herb garden for under $10 for fresh herbs throughout the growing season and dried herbs over the winter. I am sure you have seen the price for dried herbs.
Some of my followers and a client recently asked how difficult is to dry herbs; hence the instructions that I am about to share with you. My response, it is much easier than you think. So, what do you say. Let’s dry some herbs.
Tools
Metal Cookie sheets
Parchment paper
Instructions
- Cut herbs from the garden, making sure to keep them separate.
2. Remove weeds and grass from herbs, which typically spring up in the herb bed ,especially if sown in the ground.
3. Wash thoroughly with cool tap water. Be sure to check for small insects
4. Lay on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
5. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and layer herbs on top. It is not necessary to remove the herb leaves from the stems as they will separate once dried.
6. Place in a warm oven, 150-200 degrees and dry for about 5 hours. Oven temperatures will vary depending on the brand so be careful not to raise it above warm. Check the herbs after 5 hours for dryness. If the herbs easily crumble when rubbed between fingers, they are ready to store.
7. Place in small sterilized canning jars and seal. Store on shelf until ready to use.
Because life should be good. How good is that…
