Now that Fall is well underway, it’s time to trim all the herbs one last time before winter. I like to dry my herbs and store them to be used for cooking, aromatherapy and many other things. There are different ways to dry herbs. I like the hanging method for most of mine. It won’t work for all herbs. The more delicate herbs may need to be dried by lying them flat.
After taking your cuttings, use twine to tie the edge of the herbs together and hang them upside down. They can be hung inside the house or a shed. I hang mine to dry in my greenhouse. Just make sure that the area remains dry at all times.
For this post I used Lemon thyme. Below is what Lemon Thyme looks like fresh.
Below is a picture of what it looks like after hanging it to dry.
After the herbs are dry; remove the dried leaves and store them in containers. I prefer glass because it seems to preserve them the best. The aroma remains fresh in glass.
Below is a picture of the lemon thyme when it is completely dried and the jar it’s stored in.
It’s really that simple! There is nothing to it and with very little effort you can have your own dried herb collection to cook with, use for aromatherapy or whatever you want. I also use mine in sachets and eye pillows.
Another bonus when using them to cook with is that you know how they were grown and handled. Below is one of my racks of dried herbs.
I hope you give a try if you never have before.
Jen
