Drying Herbs

Most herbs are best used fresh, but many can be dried successfully.

With the exception of bay leaves for cooking, flowers and leaves for pot pourri and some plants used medicinally, all herbs are best used when fresh. Many however can be dried for use when fresh supplies are no longer available. They should be gathered when at their best; for most this will mean picking them before the plant comes into flower. Collect them on a dry day and don’t be tempted to gather more than you can deal with at one time, or you’ll be more likely to spoil than the preserve them.

Before picking, consider the plants you’re gathering from. If it’s an annual, will it regrow? If so, as is the case with basil and summer savory then don’t take too much from each one or it’ll be weakened and won’t continue to perform. If it’s unlikely that the plant will produce another crop, as with pot grown coriander or you want to remove the plants to make way for something else, then take the whole plant.

If gathering herbs from evergreen shrubs such as sage, bay or rosemary then treat the picking of drying material as a pruning exercise and take the opportunity to improve the shape of the plant. Strong growing perennials such as mint, balm and chives will quickly replace the growth that was removed. With these, all the top growth can be removed at once if desired. Often this is the best practice as the new growth will be fresh and tender, whereas older stems left in place are likely to become tough and tasteless.

One the herbs have been picked, check that all leaves are free from disease, dirt and insects, removing any that aren’t perfect. Divide the sprigs into small batches and strip leaves from the bottom to give clear stems. Use elastic bands to hold the bunches together and hang upside down in an airy place. As the stems dry and shrink, the bands will still hold them together.

Feel the herbs regularly to check their progress. As soon as the leaves feel crispy the are ready. If the centre of the bunch still retains moisture when the outer stems are crisp, the bunches are too large and should be divided.

This method works well for all but the softest and wettest of herbs. Some may be too lush to dry in this way and will require some heat. They can either be laid…

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