A herb has grown for every dish. If it's not fresh on the windowsill or in the garden, the dried version has to step in. Preferably one that has been lovingly made from their own harvest.

Herbs can be dried in the air, especially in summer

These herbs dry well

Surplus herbs that grow in local gardens dry well: mugwort, savory, chamomile, lavender, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, sage, thyme, and lemon verbena.

Even unused leftovers from purchased herbs can be turned into a small dry stash. The main thing is that they are dried while they are still fresh and flawless.

You should dry these herbs!

In the diverse family of spicy herbs, there are some representatives that are not only excellent for drying, but also gain in aroma intensity through this process. Of the herbs listed above, they are:

  • marjoram
  • oregano
  • rosemary
  • thyme

Only dry these herbs in exceptional cases

When we use garden herbs in the kitchen, we want to smell and taste their typical aroma. However, this disappears with some herbs as soon as the drying process begins. Therefore, you should only use the following herbs fresh:

  • basil
  • dill
  • Parsely
  • chives
  • lemon balm

If you have plenty of fresh stalks of these types of herbs that you cannot use up in a timely manner, then note the following points when drying:

  • Dry herbs quickly
  • Shorten the drying process with electronic devices

Once these herbs are completely dried, they should be chopped up ready for use and stored in a dark and tightly sealed container. But even under these circumstances, their aroma will dissipate more quickly than is the case with the other herbs. It is therefore better to dry a small amount of it and use it up promptly.

Herbs that are simply better fresh

The last group of herbs includes all specimens that should only be used fresh. Some of them are difficult to dry, while others hardly have any taste afterwards. These include Borage, cress, lovage, burnet burnet and sorrel.

tips

However, you could freeze some of these herbs well or make them last longer by pickling them in vinegar and oil.

Aroma-friendly harvest and preparation

Many garden herbs contain essential oils that give them their special taste and also have a healing effect on us humans. However, the concentration of essential oils fluctuates throughout the day. Before picking, find out what time of day is ideal for a particular herb.

In addition, you should observe the information listed below so that you can save as much aroma as possible in the dry version.

  • do not chop before drying
  • do not wash extensively
  • Just shake out dirt

If the garden herbs are heavily soiled, you must of course wash them. Afterwards, however, they should definitely be dabbed dry with absorbent kitchen paper.

tips

You can also hose down herbs in the garden the day before and harvest them dry the following day.

Suitable methods for drying

We have three different options for drying herbs:

  • air drying,
  • Drying in the oven
  • Drying in the dehydrator

Another option would be to quickly dry herbs in the microwave on low. However, the microwave is not exactly squeamish about the aroma and should rather not be used.

Air dry garden herbs

Air drying works with the time factor. The moisture is slowly and gently removed from the herbs, leaving what is important to us: the typical taste. The essential oils are also retained during air drying and the dry garden herbs can continue to be used for the benefit of our health.

  1. Clean the herb of dirt. Put the stalks in a sieve and shake them gently. You should only use water to clean them if they are heavily soiled.
  2. Pat wet herbs dry with absorbent kitchen paper. If necessary, let them dry a little more in the air.
  3. Loosely tie several branches together in small bundles.
  4. Hang the bundles upside down. Leave enough space in between to allow air to circulate freely. A continuously warm, shady and wind-protected place is ideal.

The air drying of garden herbs takes between 3 and 5 days, depending on the variety. Before you hang the garden herbs again, make sure that they are really dry. Especially when the days are not very warm, drying can take a little longer.

tips

It is essential to avoid direct sunlight and temperatures above 35 °C so that the valuable ingredients of the herbs are not destroyed.

Herb drying in the oven

A higher temperature can be set in the oven than is the case with air drying. As a result, the garden herbs can of course lose their moisture more quickly.

However, with this type of drying, keep in mind that the quality of the result will be poorer. Not only does the typical aroma suffer, the concentration of healing ingredients also decreases. If the latter is in demand, the oven is out of the question for drying.

  • Roughly chop cleaned garden herbs
  • Line the baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Spread herbs on parchment paper
  • set the lowest temperature level
  • never above 50 °C
  • Leave the oven door ajar
  • Turn herbs in between

Drying in the oven does not take days, but can take 2 to 5 hours depending on the variety. Check from time to time how far the drying has progressed. The herbs should not be exposed to heat longer than absolutely necessary.

Then leave the herbs to stand for a while so that they can cool down completely and the remaining moisture can evaporate.

Optimum drying in the dehydrator

A dehydrator can be found in more and more private households. Word has gotten around to health-conscious people about his gentle way of preserving vegetables, fruit and herbs. In addition, good devices are now available cheaply in stores. If you often want to dry your own garden products or bought goods, you should definitely consider buying it.

  • dries gently at low temperatures
  • The drying process runs automatically
  • several layers can be dried at the same time
  • also suitable for garden herbs

Drying in a dehydrator takes several hours, maybe a little longer than in the oven. In order to get a good result, you should definitely observe the information in the operating instructions.

Storage of dry herbs

Once the herbs have dried, the race against time begins. Light and heat decompose more and more aromatic substances. It is important to protect the herbs from these two influences:

  • store in a dark glass
  • tightly closed
  • dark, dry and cool

However, before you store your dried herbs in the pantry, you should take a close look at them:

  • check if they are really dry
  • check whether there is any mold on it
  • if necessary sniff it

durability

In principle, dried garden herbs can be kept for years. Durable here simply means that they do not spoil and therefore remain edible. However, the aroma loses more and more intensity over time. How quickly a dried herb loses flavor also depends on the variety. While parsley, for example, hardly tastes good after a few weeks, dried thyme still has a lot of flavor after a year.

Therefore, consume dried herbs promptly after drying. As soon as the stock runs out, you can start drying again.

Conclusion for fast readers:

  • Suitable herbs: mugwort, savory, chamomile, lavender, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, sage, thyme and lemon verbena
  • Conditionally suitable: basil, dill, parsley, chives, lemon balm
  • Not suitable: borage, cress, lovage, burnet burnet, sorrel
  • Preparation: just shake out impurities; Wash in exceptional cases, dry with kitchen paper
  • Air Dry: Hang small, loose bundles upside down for about 5 days
  • Location: Warm, shady and sheltered from the wind; no direct sunlight
  • Oven: lowest level, 2-5 hours; open door gap
  • Dehydrator: gentle drying; several hours; Observe manufacturer information
  • Storage: In a dark, lockable container; cool and dry
  • Shelf life: Depending on variety; Flavor wears off, so use up as soon as possible

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Herbs