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Home Drying Fresh Herbs

It is very useful to have a store of dried herbs in the kitchen. Herbs such as parsley, mint, sage and marjoram are often used in large quantities during cooking and a few jars or bunches of dried herbs are an excellent standby to add flavour to soups, stews, vegetables and salads.

Herbs intended for drying should be gathered on a warm dry day, not after rain, and before the sun has warmed the leaves and begun evaporating the essential oils. Pick them just before they come into flower as, after flowering, the leaves start to toughen up. Pick and process one variety or type of herb at a time.

Air Drying Herbs:

Pick the herbs and remove any dead or withered leaves. Tie in small bunches by the stems and blanch in boiling water for a few seconds. Shake off any excess water and leave to dry, or pat dry on a tea towel or kitchen roll. Wrap loosely in muslin and hang up to dry in a warm place, such as over a cooker or in an airing cupboard.

The length of time the herbs will take to dry will vary according to the temperature and the draught. If considerable heat is radiating from the cooker, for example, and there is also a good draught, they may be dry in just a few hours. If left in the airing cupboard, where there is little draught, they may take 3-4 days. The drying process is complete when the main stems of the herbs crack, rather than bend, and the leaves are brittle.

Oven Drying Herbs:

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If using large-leaved herbs, such as mint or sage, strip the leaves from their stalks. Otherwise you can leave them in sprigs. Pick over the herbs for any dead or withered leaves and then blanch small numbers of leaves (tied in muslin) or sprigs of herbs in boiling water for 1 minute. Shake off the excess moisture and spread the leaves or sprigs on trays. Place in a cool oven, at a temperature between 45°C/110°F/Gas Mark 0 and 55°C/130°F/Gas Mark 0. The herbs should be dried until they are crisp. If the drying process is continuous, this takes about 1 hour (on a rack above the stove it will take 3-4 hours).

When dry crush the herbs with a rolling pin, discarding any stalks. If you want to reduce them to a fine powder, sieve them. Store in small airtight containers, well-filled to preserve the fragrance. If stored in glass bottles, protect them from the light to conserve the colour.

Note: If drying sprigs or stalks of herbs in the oven, turn them over halfway through the drying period to ensure even drying.

Microwave Drying Herbs:

This is a simple and easy process but you do need to pay careful attention over what you are doing. Lay two sheets of absorbent kitchen roll and then put a layer of herbs down, then another layer of paper towel. Use the microwave on high for 1minute then in bursts of 30 seconds, moving herbs around and checking dryness frequently. The whole process should take no longer than 3 minutes.

Bouquets Garnis:

Is a term frequently referred to in cookery recipes and consists of a bunch of herbs – usually a twig of bay leaf, sprig of parsley, sprig of thyme and sprig of rosemary, tied together and used in soups and casseroles. It is useful to prepare some these and dry them so they are ready for instant use. The bouquet garni is removed from the cooked dish before serving.

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