We all use herbs in our cooking, but most of the time we just measure or shake them out of a container that we bought from the store; why not grow and dry fresh herbs. The price of dried herbs has gone up because more people are eating healthier and cooking their own meals, while using whole food ingredients.
You can save yourself some money and have better quality herbs by growing and drying your own herbs at home. All you need is a sunny spot, good potting soil and a few small containers. If you are little nervous about growing your own herbs, start off by planting a few of the ones you use the most.
Herbs area like any other plant only they are edible. If you grow them in a window sill, they will add color and beauty to whatever room they are in. Herbs will grow back additional leaves the more you cut them and trim them back. Some people find that herbs actually grow faster than they can use them in the fresh cut form, so you might want to share with family and friends (this is how I have gotten mine over the years).
If you find that the herbs are growing faster than you can use them, then drying them is the answer. Dried leaves still have the flavor, they just last longer this way. The great benefit of drying herbs is you can have the fresh flavor all year long. Here is how to dry herbs at home.
The tools you will need to begin drying your fresh herbs:
- Wire or wooden racks (cookie drying racks work great)
- Colander
- Cheese cloth
- String
- Paper towels
Wash your herbs in cold water. Rinse them using a colander. Once the herbs are washed and rinse, lay them out on paper towels to dry. Lay the leaves out individually and pat them dry. Get all visible moisture off of them; each leaf should be completely dry.
Drying Your Herbs
You can dry leaves with the stalks or without them. The choice is yours. Here are some ways to dry your herbs:
Lay the leaves flat on a drying rack. Put the cheese cloth over the leaves if you are drying them outside. This keeps out dirt and bugs.
Dry the leaves in bunches, by tying the stalks together and hanging them upside down to dry. Hang the tied stalks in a place that is well ventilated with no humidity. If there is moisture in the air, your leaves will not dry.
Using your oven to dry the leaves works too. Put them in the oven at 120 degrees. Check your leaves every half hour until they are completely dry. Microwaves have been used, but they tend to shrivel the leaves and are not as reliable as other methods. I wouldn’t recommend drying them this way.
Storing Your Dried Herbs
Your dried herbs will stay fresh for up to six months. Store them in glass jars for best results. You can also keep them in zip lock plastic bags, just squish the air out as much as possible before sealing.
It is a must for you to keep your herbs air tight in order to avoid molding. Just because they are dried doesn’t make them safe to just leave out in the open.
As you can see, it is not difficult to grow and dry your own fresh herbs. I have many friends who do this, and they have told me that the about methods work best. I am going to give it a try this year. It just seems like something I would enjoy doing.
How about you; have you ever grown and dried your own herbs at home?
I use my own herbs all the time, they are so much better than store bought. Good tips Cindi, as always