September 28, 2007, Newsletter Issue #128: Drying Herbs

Tip of the Week

Drying is one of the best methods for preserving herbs, but it does require a clean workspace and time. Before drying, pick over your herbs and remove damaged or spoilt leaves and stems and any impurities.

Here are three different ways to dry herbs. Choose the one that is most suitable to the space you have available:

Bundle the herbs, tie the ends securely together with twine and suspend upside down in a dry airy place. This works well with long-stemmed leafy herbs like parsley, coriander, lovage or celery. If you’re doing this in your home, place a tray under the herbs to catch loose leaves. Move from drying position to storage when the herbs are totally dry.Line a workbench with newspaper or kitchen paper and spread out all the herbs in a single layer. Turn occasionally and move to storage when completely dry.If the weather is growing cool or very humid, your herbs may not dry very well and may be in danger of spoiling. In this case, you can dry the herbs in a very low oven instead. Spread the herbs out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and place in the bottom of the oven. Set the oven to its lowest possible temperature. Leave the oven door open a little to allow moisture to escape. Check the herbs after 20-30 minutes. If some moisture still remains, continue drying and check every 5-10 minutes.

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