Drying Herbs

[cookwithlove]

I was thinking of how to dry the left- over herbs after cooking like oregano, dill,sage, tarrangon, rosemary and so forth, any idea how the commercial did it?

[KYHeirloomer]

Keep in mind, first off, that not all herbs dry well. The more aromatic they are, the less likely you are to be successful; particularly with small amounts.

So, my inclination would be to freeze left-over herbs.

For large amounts, such as those you've grown yourself, there are two common methods. Plus they can be dried in the microwave (although I've never done that myself) and in a food dehydrator at the lowest setting.

As to the common ways:

1. Harvest the herbs. Tie them in bundles at the root end, leaving excess string. Take a large paper bag (such as you'd get at the supermarket). Write the name of the herb on it, and cut a small hole centered in the bottom.
Pass the excess string through the hole, tie a loop in it, and hang the whole thing in an airy location, out of direct sunlight.
The bag helps keep the herbs out of light, and serves as a dust cover as well.

2. Harvest the herbs. Lay them out on screen shelves, leaving lots of air space between sprigs. Again, keep them out of direct sunlight. Every once in a while turn the herbs until fully dried.

[FR33_MASON]

I an assuming that it is humid where you live so I would suggest to tie your herbs into a bunch and hang upside down in a well ventilated area. a fan blowing over the herbs would be ideal. drape a single layer of cheese cloth over top to prevent dust and other foreign materials landing while drying. for herbs that can't be tied in a bunch just use cheese cloth to make a satchel.