Drying and Storing Herbs

Drying and Storing Herbs
Taken from http://letsjapan.org/forum/viewtopic.ph ... 81&start=0

Edogaijin wrote:What's the best way to dry out and store Thyme or other garden herbs? Leave them in the sun for a week or so? Pop them in the oven? Just cut them up and put them in a jar?

I've found the best two ways is to first trim them up as whole stems, dunk in a bucket of cold water, paper towel dry or I often use the wife’s hairdryer (when she's not around) and then either:

- Put them in a zip-lock plastic bag and bung them in the freezer.

or

- Tie a bunch of stems together with a bit of fishing line, poke a tiny hole in the bottom of a brown paper bag and thread the line through it so the herbs are in the bag with the open end down, tie it up in a cool dry place for about 2 weeks.

If drying you should always use full stems and dry upside down so all of the oils in the stems run into the leaves.

Make sure that they're well dry before you hang them up or they'll go mouldy.

I've found the sun (at least in Aus) is way too harsh and literally burns before drying and that stuff from the freezer is good for pizzas and salads and what not while dry stuff is good for simmering type dishes such as pasta sauce etc.

Harvest for drying 5 July 2009.

L to R = Curled Parsley, Coriander, Flat Parsley and Chives.

Ready in less than a week although the chives didn't work out at all....