Once a gardener starts growing herbs it becomes clear that he cannot eat all of them. Instead of discarding the herbs, make dry herbs and store them for later use.
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Pick herbs fresh from a garden or container garden by snipping them near the roots. Try to pick the herbs when it hasn’t rained for a day or two. Remove any yellow leaves from the herbs and discard them.
Wash the herbs thoroughly in water to remove any remaining dirt and debris and dry the herbs with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
Herbs that do not contain a lot of moisture are best transformed into dry herbs using an air drying method. According to PickYourOwn.com, the best herbs to dry via an air drying method are thyme, sage, bay leaves, dill, oregano, marjoram and rosemary.
Tie the herbs together in bunches by wrapping string or a rubber band around their stems. Hang the herbs in an out of the way location to air dry. It can take up to one week for the herbs to fully air dry, depending on the humidity level inside the house and the temperature. Hanging herbs in a sunroom or enclosed porch will hasten their drying time.
Herbs that contain a lot of moisture must be dried quickly or they will develop mold. The quickest way to dry high moisture herbs is through the use of heat. Herbs that are best dried using a heat drying method include tarragon, basil, and mint.
To use a food dehydrator, place the herbs inside it and follow the directions for the dehydrator. To dry herbs in the oven, spread them on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet into an oven heated to 180 degrees and allow the herbs to cook for three to four hours, stirring periodically.
Once the dry herbs are ready, prepare them for storage by picking the dry herb leaves off of the stem and discarding the stems. Chop the dry herbs lightly with a knife or by snipping them with kitchen shears. Some herbs will break off of the stems using only the fingers. Store each dry herb separately in clear storage containers that are labeled with the herb’s name and storage date.
Not only does making dry herbs prevent them from being discarded, but it will also save money too.
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