Spicy plants give many dishes that special kick and make them something special. Unfortunately, fresh herbs and spices do not keep for long and quickly lose their aroma. However, they can be preserved by drying and often even intensify their taste during this process.
Spice plants should be properly dry before storing
Which herbs can be dried?
The following are very good for drying:
- Oregano,
- Marjoram,
- Rosemary,
- Thyme,
- Lavender,
- savory
- dill seeds,
- Caraway seed.
But you can also dry many other spices such as chillies and build up a supply in this way.
When should spices be harvested?
Spice plants that you plan to use the greens from taste best when they are about to flower.
In the case of herbs such as dill or caraway, the inflorescences or seeds are used. The corresponding parts of the plant are cut off when the fruit has reached its typical colour.
Clean spices
After harvesting, keep the spices in an airy place and process them as quickly as possible:
- Simply shake out herbs that are not very dirty.
- Coarse dirt can be removed with a damp cloth.
- If you want to wash the spices, hold them under a weak jet of water. Then dab carefully.
Preserve by drying
Spices can be dried in the air, in a dehydrator or in the oven:
- For air-drying, gather the herbs into bouquets. Hang them in an airy, warm and shady place.
- Spread seeded spices and spices with small leaves on a surface.
- For chillies, thread a string through the stem and hang the pods.
- If the leaves rustle softly, the process is complete. Depending on the spice, this takes between three and seven days.
- Seeds can then be easily separated from the other parts of the plant.
Alternatively, you can dry the spices using heat in the oven or dehydrator. Turn on the devices to a temperature of 30 to a maximum of 50 degrees. The drying time is two to four hours.
To preserve the aroma, keep the spices in tightly sealed, dark containers.
tips
Before cooking, you should crumble dried herbs with your fingers. During this process, which is referred to as "rebeling" in technical jargon, the typical taste is released and intensified.