Drying Herbs

Herbs basically fall into two categories – Leaf and seed

Seed herbs can be dried and stored whole. Generally when seeds are ripe,they are dry but still contain a little moisture. Spread them out on a tray in a warm dry place for a few days then store in a jar. It doesn't matter if the jar is not airtight. They have an airtight protective outer husk. If you store them this way and grind them just before use, the flavour is much stronger. Seeds tend to produce a stronger flavour when used dried, than leaf.

Leaf herbs should be dried thoroughly and stored in an airtight container. They should be kept for one year only. After this time their aromatic oils have all but vanished and you are effectively flavouring your food with sawdust.

If you think you have seen good herbs at the supermarket, try growing your own. I did and the coriander aroma hung around the chopping board for the next two washes! Most herbs grow in poor soils so they are very hardy and easy to grow.

You don't need lots of land to grow herbs. A selection of herbs we grow on our small residential block.

Most herbs you find in the supermarkets are grown hydroponically and lack that little extra zing that makes food taste like we remember. Herbs have developed their aromatic oils for a reason. It may be to discourage vegetarian feeders (like basil and fennel), cope with cold frosts (like sage and thyme which are alpine plants) or reduce moisture loss (like Bay Leaves and Tarragon). The tiny amounts of trace elements in natural soils and the interaction of certain soil bacteria, boost the potency of these oils in the plant, giving us a stronger flavour than hydroponically grown varieties.

Thus if you want to dry herbs, dry those grown yourself rather than supermarket herbs. If that's not possible but you can buy them fresh, then cut them up fine and sprinkle them onto a plastic sheet over a tray. Place them in the freezer and once frozen, store them in your freezer in an airtight container. As long as they don't thaw, they will be free flow, allowing you to take out just as much as you need for the job. Fresh Coriander rapidly loses it's aroma when dried but this method will keep the aroma and give you fresh coriander all year round.

When summer is here, garden herbs are kicking into high gear, producing lots of pleasing, aromatic, foliage that is great for cooking and potpourris. Freshly harvested leaves are wonderful for cooking, but you might want to preserve some to use later in the year or to create sachets that will fill your home with wonderful scents.

Hanging bunches of fresh grown herbs to dry - from left to right: Sweet Basil, Sage, Marjoram, Rosemary and Dill. 

There are two ways to air-dry your crop. The first is to hang it up. With large-leafed herbs such as basil, rosemary, and sage, snip off the leafy stems, then tie the cut ends together with string and hang the bundle upside down in a warm, dry place (out of direct sunlight) with good air circulation. The herbs should be dry and crisp in two to three weeks. You can then strip the leaves off the stems and store them in airtight container for later use. This method is also a great way to dry lavender.

The second way to dry herbs is to spread them out to dry. With fine-leafed herbs such as oregano and thyme, simply remove the foliage from stems and spread the leaves on a cookie sheet or piece of clean window screenmesh and set in a warm, dry, airy place away from direct sun. Stir them up every few days to turn them over. Once the leaves feel crisp, you can store them in an airtight container for later use.

Remember you want them really dry to prevent mould forming later.

A helpful trick I use is to get a silica gel bag (often packed with electronic products) and heat it in the oven for 10 minutes so that it is really dry. Now add that to the herbs in your airtight jar, while the bag is still warm to the touch. It will scavenge any moisture in the jar when it is sealed, keeping your herbs desiccated.

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