If you have a garden and you plan to grow herbs, you need to know how to preserve them for the long storage run. I used to grow every herb you can think of on the market in my old garden and I loved dehydrating or just simply drying them out to preserve them for later use. In fact, I had so much growing that I used to share my haul with my sister and my brother-in-law for his restaurant use. In the picture above you will see oregano, rosemary, thyme, dill, parsley, sage, and my favorite Italian basil.
Think of drying herbs as soon as you harvest them, which allows you to know when and where they came from. Unfortunately, you can't do that with store-bought herbs because many times they were harvested last year and not stored properly, therefore, they lost their flavor and zest. Drying your own herbs is very time-consuming, but well worth your time and energy. Not only will you save money in the long run, but you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you grew those herbs that you're putting in your family dinners. If you want to practice before your harvest comes in or you don't have a garden, consider visiting your local farmers market in your area and buy a few bunches of Rosemary, Thyme, or Basil fresh and either hang them in bunches in your warm kitchen or dry them in your oven.
I can remember the first time I visited Williamsburg and Mount Vernon with my sister and brother-in-law on a camping trip many years ago. When we walked into the rustic kitchen in both places the one thing I can remember was the bunches of herbs hanging from the fireplace or above the sink drying in the warm kitchen air. I thought those bunches were the best thing in the kitchen for a teenager. Then I went home and started reading about how to dry herbs and learned that they can be dried in your oven too. This was before dehydrators were the rage.
Drying herbs in the oven is old school way too. Choose vigorous, healthy stalks and leaves, and be sure to discard any dead or dried-out leaves from the herbs. Lay them out on a cookie sheet on top of a piece of parchment paper. Then place the cookie sheet in a 200-degree Fahrenheit pre-heated oven and leave it alone for about 5 hours. Check halfway through to test to see if the leaves are brittle to the touch. If still soft, leave it in the oven. If you can't leave it in your oven for that long then you can leave the trays out on your table overnight and check them in the morning. When you turn your oven on to cook dinner, place the herbs on a tray in your warming drawer, you know that drawer under your stove where you're probably storing your other pots and pans. Clean the drawer out and leave it empty so you can dry out your herbs in that drawer. Or use the drawer to proof your bread dough, that's what that drawer is supposed to be used for. Do not overheat your oven because you will damage your herbs if you leave them unattended which can cause your herbs to burn. What I do is preheat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn the oven off after I place the trays into the oven. That way I am guaranteed not to burn anything and allow my harvest to dry naturally.
Once your herbs are dried and brittle to the touch, remove the leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight jar for up to a year. Honestly, I've actually been able to keep my herbs for up to 2 years in an airtight jar that is not in the sun and in a cool place. Happy harvesting and if you have any questions, feel free to send me a message.
Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.
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