Harvesting and Drying Herbs

We have had a lot of rain which has stunted our vegetable growth.  The only thing we have been able to harvest in a large amount has been our herbs.  We have freshly ground: sweet mint, peppermint, spearmint, oregano, tarragon, thyme, basil, and rosemary.

To harvest the plants, use pruning shears to cut the stalks or pull off the individual mature leaves.  Make sure you have a container to put your freshly cut herbs in.
Thoroughly wash your bounty using a colander.
Pat dry with paper towel. 
Spread the leaves on a dehydrator tray and allow to dry for approximately 6 hours. 

Freshly Dried Herbs

(I used a separate tray for each herb instead of drying them individually.  This led to the smaller pieces drying and falling through the trays to the bottom. I ground all the leaves together and made an herb mixture.)

 OR

Get brown paper bags, a Sharpie, and some yarn.
Write the name of the herb and the date on the outside of the bag.
Wrap the ends around the opening of the bag with the yarn so that the herb is hanging upside down in the bag.
Allow to dry for approximately two weeks.

Drying with Paper Bag

Once dried, take out your mortar and pestle and place a paper towel underneath it.
Remove the leaves from the stalks.

Pulling Leaves

Crush the leaves.
(The paper towel will catch any leaves that fall out.) 

Ground Herbs

Store in airtight labeled container.





DON'T FORGET to put paper towel and any stems in your compost.