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The faster the herbs dry,
the more flavorful the resulting dried herb will be.
Conventional Oven:
Place clean dry herb sprigs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at the
lowest setting until herbs are dry and brittle. This should take about 12
hours. Strip leaves from stems & place in small airtight storage
containers.
Air Drying: Tie small
bunches of herbs with string and hang upside down by the stems in a dry
warm spot out of direct sunlight. Be sure air circulates freely around the
bunches. Let dry till leaves are brittle. This usually takes a few days to
a week, depending on the thickness of the leaves. Pick off the dried
leaves & store them in tightly covered containers in a cool, dry place for
about two weeks or until dry and brittle.
Microwave Drying:
Pick when the dew has just gone off. Put on paper towels on a plate in the
microwave. Zap on high for a minute to start (at that point they appear
"wet"). Stir them, zap again for another minute, move around again, and
zap approximately 30 seconds more or until they are dry and crumbly. Rub
between your hands to break up, pick out any twiggy parts and put in small
jars or baggies.
Freezing Herbs: Wrap
in foil or plastic wrap. You can also chop clean herbs, place in ice cube
trays & fill with water. When needed, remove herb ice cubes and drop them
into hot cooking liquid. You can also wrap bunches of fresh herbs in foil
or plastic wrap and freeze them for several weeks. You should expect some
discoloration of frozen herbs. Mark the date on the container of your
dried herbs. They can be kept for one year. Heat, moisture and light rob
herbs of flavor. You can also make herb butters and herb vinegars.
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