Although thyme can be harvested all year round, if you want a powerfully aromatic herb rich in essential oils, you should pick the right time to harvest and then preserve the leaves.
Harvest at the right time
Like so many herbs, thyme should be harvested and preserved just before flowering. At this time, the content of valuable essential oils is highest, while the leaves lose their aroma after flowering. In addition, you should harvest thyme - as well as other herbs that are to be dried - if possible in the late morning or at midday, when the morning dew has already evaporated. It should also have been dry for a day or two (i.e. no rain!) if possible, because too much moisture will only cause the thyme to be dried to become mouldy.
Do not wash thyme before drying!
For the same reason, thyme intended for drying should not be washed! Dust and larger dirt particles can be removed by vigorous shaking. Furthermore, the larger the part of the plant to be dried, the more of the valuable ingredients are preserved - ergo it is better to dry whole stems including leaves and flowers instead of individual leaves.
Air dry thyme
Probably the oldest method of gently drying herbs is, of course, air drying. To do this, you should tie individual thyme stalks together into small bouquets (remove leaves that are too close together and withered or rotten beforehand) and hang them upside down in a dark and dry place for one to four weeks to dry. The air should be able to circulate well.
Dry the thyme in the oven
However, it is a little faster and less complicated in the oven, after all not everyone has the space or the possibilities to hang up numerous bouquets of herbs. Proceed as follows for oven drying:
- Preheat the oven to 40°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay out the thyme stalks individually and in sufficient condition to each other.
- Cover them with kitchen paper.
- Place the tray with the herbs in the oven.
- Stick a piece of wood or a cork in the door to keep it from closing completely.
- In this way, the escaping moisture can escape.
- Turn the oven down to 30°C.
- Now let the herbs dry for about three hours.
- Now heat the oven to 50 °C and turn the stalks once.
- Dry them for another hour.
- Now check the condition of the herbs and, if in doubt, let them dry for another half hour to a full hour.
Alternatively, drying in a dehydrator is also possible.
tips and tricks
Thyme is one of the few herbs that can be easily dried in the microwave. To do this, place the freshly harvested leaves or stalks on a plate, cover them with kitchen paper and place them in the microwave. Now let the herbs dry at a maximum of 300 watts (lowest level!) in several passes of 30 seconds each, whereby the herbs should be turned after each pass.
IJA
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