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Drying & Storing Herbs
Herbs can be foraged or cultivated to dry for future use. Some plants are best prepared fresh as they may lose potency when dried (St. John's wort for example). Drying plant material has many benefits such as concentrating constituents for more potency and aromatics (though some plants may lose aroma), preserving for longer term storage, and making certain herbal preparations.
Once you have collected your herbs it is important to dry immediately what you do not use. When choosing a method to dry the herbs keep in mind that the environment needs to be dry. Moisture will lead to rot and mold, while direct sun or a dehydrator with too much heat with burn; both destroying the properties of the herbs. Be mindful of the moisture content of the parts being dried and the humidity and temperature of the drying space and environment. Check regularly and adjust as needed.
Drying Guidelines
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Dry wilt plants before bringing inside so bugs can escape and moisture reduced. After cutting, leave outside in a covered area for a couple hours.
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Drying location needs to be clean and dry, out of direct sunlight and moisture, in a well ventilated area with good air circulation, and temperature below 100 degrees.
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Dry material until crisp to the touch.
Preparing Plants for Drying
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Use only vibrant healthy plant material.
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Remove any debris such as cobwebs, seed tufts, other plants, dirt, etc. There is no need to rinse or wash unless collecting the roots.
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Remove any dry, dead, or decaying parts.
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Leaves can be left on stalks and stems for drying though when removed they tend to dry faster.
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Roots: soak for a couple minutes, gently scrub dirt off and cut into smaller pieces – keep “bark” intact.
Once prepared there are many methods that can be used to dry the plants. Some of these methods may not work if you live in a humid area.
Drying Racks & Screens
Simply lay the herbs on screens in single layers that have air flow on all sides. Use old window screens, dehydrator trays or make your own with screen or mesh material. Lay on a drying rack, laundry rack or other similar set up. Check daily and lift and fluff as needed to keep air flow circulating.
Other "rack" ideas include using kitchen carts, baskets, and/or racks, purchased hanging racks, and even wooden cutting boards. If drying outside keep covered and out of direct sunlight, watch for humidity and pests.
Baskets/Boxes
Place the herbs in a basket with a loose weave where air flow can come in. Wicker and laundry baskets work great! Hang in the shade outside or a dry place in your home. Cardboard boxes also allow for airflow and absorb moisture from plants. Check regularly to make sure they are getting enough air flow, lift and fluff as needed.
Dehydrator
Place on dehydrator trays in a single layer, set correct temperature and dry until crisp to the touch. Let cool completely before storing.
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Leaves and blossoms dry at 80-100 degrees
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Roots, bark, seeds dry at 150 degrees
Hanging Bundles
Tie up in small bundles and hang upside down from any of these sources:
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Shelves
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Rafters
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Bars
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Drying rack
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Hooks or nails
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String line
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Whatever you can contrive
Oven
This is my least favorite method, simply because an oven is so hard to control and easy to forget about. It also ties up the oven for baking the whole time herbs are drying. I've lost more than one batch to a family member unknowingly preheating the oven with herbs still inside — resulting in scorched plants instead of dried ones. But here are instructions if this is the method you choose to use:
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Set oven to 100 degrees, use the warm setting or just turn on the light as the light bulb on some ovens emit heat.
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Keep oven door cracked for air flow and check regularly for completion, remove when crisp, store when cooled.
Incorporate in Home Decor
Use plant material in your home decorating by placing in baskets and vases, hanging bundles in strategic places or lay in pretty dishes or out on shelves or tables. I love to use lavender, yarrow, hawthorn and evergreens. Bring in pruned branches, create floral arrangements, etc.
*This method doesn't work for all plant material so just experiment and see what works for you.
“…we used to decorate our homes when we were children in Sweden. We didn’t have many pretty things in those days, but we did have leaves and flowers.”
Storing Herbs
When herbs are crisp and snap when you break them its time to store them for future use. Crushing herbs will start the decomposition process, as will light and moisture so keep in as whole of form as possible in a dry, dark place. Glass is best as it keeps out air, moisture, and odor because it doesn’t “breathe” like other containers and bags can. Re-purpose jars from purchased food, canning jars, specialty jars online or at a local craft store or big box store, thrift stores, etc. A friend of mine went through a Costco jar of pickles weekly with her family so I asked for her jars and they hold most of my herbs so don't be afraid to reach out to friends and family for containers. For large quantities I store in 5 gallon storage buckets or tightly sealed bins.
Once “bottled” label your herbs and keep them in a dry, dark, cool place. Many books and sources will tell you that dried herbs will only last a year and then discard them but I still have a jar of peppermint leaf I dried and stored three years ago and it is still as potent as the day it was stored. When it comes to dried herbs your “expiration date” depends on three factors; color, smell and taste. As long as your herb still has a vibrant color, smells aromatic and tastes potent, it is still good. Once they lose their color and aroma, it is time to discard them. If you are growing and/or foraging every year I like to refresh my supply by composting the last year material and replacing with the current year. This ensures potency from year to year.
Overview
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Keep in as whole of form as possible.
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Use airtight containers. Glass is best. 5 gallon buckets for larger quantities.
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Storage area should be cool, dry and dark.
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Shelf-life as long as material retains color, smell, and taste.
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