As your Italian Herb Garden grows, you will want to preserve your herbal bounty for winter use.
Drying your herbs for winter use is a simple process. Do not be overwhelmed by instructions that make it sound complicated, or require you to purchase specialized equipment.
Home gardeners have been drying herbs for winter use for centuries without any specialized equipment. So relax, and let nature do its. work.
Harvesting Italian Herbs for Drying
The best time to harvest fresh herbs is in the morning, just after the dew has dried on your herb plants. Although if your schedule is not conducive to harvesting herbs in the morning, pick them whenever you can.
Also, herbs generally have the best flavor just before they start to flower. The flavor of the herbs tends to get stronger and the leaves tougher once the plant begins to bloom.
So, what if you’ve been away and your herbs have already flowered, maybe even have seed heads? Go ahead and dry them! Personally, I feel that the ‘perfect time’ for harvesting herbs is overrated anyway. The character of the older herb plants may be a little different than the younger herbs, but I’ve dried herbs in various stages of their growth and am always glad I did.
Snip off a bunch of stems or leaves for preserving. If you plan to continue growing and harvesting from your herb plant, harvest no more than one-third of the plant to ensure your herb plant will continue to thrive, and you can continue to harvest fresh herbs to use in your Italian cooking.
If you will not be overwintering your herb plants, and you are done with using the herbs fresh for the season, cut the entire plant down to preserve it for winter use in your Italian cooking.
Methods for Drying Italian Garden Herbs
If your harvested herb plants are dirty, rinse and dry them gently. I don’t suggest patting them dry, or using a spinner as those methods tend to bruise the leaves.
Method 1 – Air Drying Your Herbs
Lay out the leaves in a single layer, in a dry shaded area until the herb leaves are dry. Make sure you keep the herbs out of sunlight to retain the best flavor. Turn occasionally for even drying.
Flat Pan – Lay parchment paper or a tea towel on your flat pan (i.e. cookie sheet) so herbs don’t stick to the pan as they dry.
Drying Racks – Lay your herbs out to dry on drying racks — often made from window screening. This allows for air flow both below and above the herbs, for quicker drying.
Hanging Bouquets – Tie a bunch of herb stems together, and hang them upside down to dry. You can cover the herb bundles with a paper bag to keep them dust free.
Check the leaves often, and remove any that begin going moldy. This is also an indication that the area does not have enough air circulation or is too moist for proper drying.
When air drying, I often place the herbs near a heating vent (but not right over it, or too close for the herbs to fly away), to get some air circulation.
Air drying is the easiest and most economical method of drying your Italian herbs.
Method 2 – Oven Drying Your Herbs
Lay out your herb leaves in a single layer on a flat pan (e.g. cookie sheet). To prevent the herbs from sticking or reacting with the metal pan, line your pan with parchment paper.
Set your oven to the lowest setting, and check herbs for dryness every hour. You can gently turn them over for faster, more even drying. Be careful not to break the leaves too much.
If your oven does not go below 200°F / 95°C, leave the oven door slightly ajar when drying. Using higher temperatures may bake the herb leaves rather than drying them.
This process can take up to four hours for thicker leaves.
Method 3 – Dehydrator Herb Drying
Dehydrators do an excellent job of drying herbs. Follow the herb drying instructions that come with your dehydrator.
Method 4 – Microwave Herb Drying
Place your herb leaves between two sheets of paper towel. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Check and keep microwaving and checking every 30 seconds, until the herb leaves are dry.
The microwave method of herb drying works great when you have a relatively small quantity of herbs to dry at once, no space to lay out sheets of drying pans, or no time for the other methods.
Personal note: I was skeptical about using the microwave for drying herbs when I first learned about the method. So, I tried it. And it worked much better than I had anticipated. I dried a bunch of basil leaves in the microwave, and not only did they dry quickly, the basil also retained its bright green color.
Test Your Herbs for Dryness
Always test your herbs for dryness before storing. They should feel brittle and crumble when rubbed between your fingers. If the herbs do not crumble between your fingers, or there are some soft pieces remaining, then the herbs are not dry enough yet.
Storing Your Dried Italian Herbs
When your Italian herbs are dry, store them in an airtight container. By storing the herbs whole, you will preserve more of the herb flavor. Rub the herbs between your fingers or palms when you use them.
I like to use the glass canning jars, as they are convenient and easy to store. And they are inexpensive to purchase.
Check your dried herbs occasionally to make sure they are not starting to go soft, meaning they are absorbing moisture. If you cook regularly with your dried herbs, you will know when you use them whether they still crumble easily. For herbs you use on occasion only, make a point of checking them every so often.
To further ensure that your dried herbs stay dry throughout the winter, you can add one of the following to your storage jar with your herbs to help absorb any excess moisture: dry powdered milk, rice kernels, silica gel packet.
Most importantly, use the Italian herbs you so lovingly dried in all your winter cooking.
Happy growing,
Herb Garden Gal
Copyright © 2010 www.HerbGardenGal.com. All rights reserved.
hello…
you have a great blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?…
I just love your blog, its anything under the sun
thank for the crazy content on your website, I am very interested in this article and you have really helped me. I have just told a few of my friends about this on FaceBook and they love your content just as much as I do.
Wonderful articles! appreciate for sharing your knowledge around! Hope to read more from you!
how does wind energy work…
[...]Italian Herb Garden – Storing Herbs Part 2 – Drying Italian Herbs « Herb Garden Gal[...]…
A good psychic reading should be about self empowerment and own development. A good psychic will be able to view your potential future, which will allow you to help to make informed decisions.
I was suggested this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my difficulty. You’re incredible! Thanks!
Your post will be rather good, and I’m sure some will find it interesting because it’s about a topic that’s as widely discussed as others. Some may even find it useful.nice one so much for your post.
Hi there fellow blogger! Found your website through the search engine, and was forwarded to your blog, lol. Anyway, great article that you got right here, I discover the content to be very informational, in a way. Well I am simply wondering whether a fellow blogger such as you wish to do some link exchange with me, as I’m constantly trying to find high quality blogs like yours, to additional increase my network of friends. Let me know, and thanks in advance.
Thank you for another informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such a perfect way? I’ve a project that I am just now working on, and I have been on the look out for such info.
Hey, you got a fine stuff at the present time! I appreciate so much a finely maintained stuff.
Hey there, You’ve done a great job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this site.
Can I simply say what a relief to find someone who truly knows what they’re talking about on the internet.
hello!,I like your writing very much! share we communicate more about your article on AOL? I require a specialist on this area to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Looking forward to see you.
thanks
Thank you for another excellent post. Where else could anybody get that type of info in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information.
I want to point out my admiration for your generosity for those individuals that actually need guidance on in this niche. Your special dedication to getting the solution along became particularly functional and has all the time helped individuals much like me to reach their endeavors. Your new insightful instruction implies much a person like me and especially to my office workers. Warm regards; from everyone of us.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he actually bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!
Only a great writer can get their point across in words. You are such a writer and I appreciate this information more than you know.
Thanks for keeping it up up to now using the latest.
For some causes, I can relate to the content material of your post. Anyways, I can say that you simply do an excellent job in updating your website. Additionally, I’m continuously searching for comparable backlinks. I’d be more than happy to initiate a hyperlink trade with you. I don’t require you to spend time to update my hyperlink on every page – just approve this comment will do. Let me know additional information about your link, cheers!
Rather than produce the same old content you have taken this subject to a whole new level . Kudos for not following the standard writing crowd.
I am an avid reader who likes engaging content. That’s why I am here. Your original views on this topic are refreshing and interesting. You’ve done a great job of expressing your views. Thank you.
very interesting topic , outstanding post. make 20 a day
Thanks for sharing! Glad I found your blog!
This kind of information usually bores me to tears, but you have managed to make it more appealing. This really a quite interesting subject. I think I want more information.
It isn’t often I take note of a writer, but you have done a bang up job here. I feel the same as you about this topic. Thanks for sharing.
It’s very nice to find out other writers share like minds on some content. This is the case with your article. I really enjoyed this.
I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your article. You have this information well formatted and you’ve used interesting and unique content to get your points across.
I personally think your article is awesome! I am intrigued with much of your information and am persuaded to agree with you after reading your material. I’m hoping you’ll add more articles on this topic.
I’m not a professional writer, but I could be a professional reader. Thank you for your interesting and forward-thinking views on this unique subject matter.
After reading this article it got me thinking on this subject. Your points and thoughts on this topic are very precise and well thought out. This is really great work.
This content is perfect for my taste. I appreciate the writer’s points and agree on many. I read this article through twice for good measure.
about this topic again I will be sure to check out your site. Before I go I want to open an invitation to visit
What sets a good writer apart from a great one is knowing how to put thoughts into understandable sentences. You have managed to do this with your article. Good job.
Reading online content is sort of a hobby of mine. I came across your article and was intrigued by it. I like how you express your viewpoints and make sense.
Your article is great! Your viewpoints are valid and well-represented. This is useful and interesting data that I can appreciate. You are obviously knowledgeable in this area. You kept this content smart and very engaging.
Thank you for taking the time to write this informative article. I will take stock of your comments on this subject. My forte is verizon phones.
What kind of due diligence did you use for this?
Many years ago, I taught high school english. I have long since retired, but I still like to show my appreciation for good quality writing.
You have written an informative article with a lot of thought-provoking information. I agree with you on several points as they are valid and reasonable.
It does seem that everybody is into this kind of stuff lately. Don
You are one straightforward writer. I enjoyed reading your article and taking in all the interesting information. I share your thoughts on many points in this content. This is great.
I’m a little surprised at how interesting your content is. I think you should make an ebook out of this information. Thank you for sharing.