If You Can Grow it You Can Dehydrate It

Drying Herbs Then and Now

Saving money and watching what we purchase is an ongoing battle for most individuals. One of the things I learned was to dry my own herbs. Yes this may be a little old fashioned but next time you are in the grocery store look at the prices in the spice section. People have been drying their own herbs for thousands of years, so we are not reinventing the egg here. Herbs have so many uses it is ridiculous. To season food, preserve, medicinal,even as a  disinfectant yet each year more and more of us lose the knowledge to do this.

For myself I like to grow my own, usually what I will do is choose three to four different herbs that I know I use regularly such as parsley, basil, or oregano. I will grow large varied batches and alternate the following year. Usual two or three plants will give you more then enough for yourself and to share. If you your neighbors grow herbs you can also trade with them.  I like to take the extra I have dried and put it in vacuum pack as they will keep for one to two years. It is also easier to give to other people this way.

This year I used three different varieties of Basil, to create a basil blend, lemon mint which I use as a rub and for tea. Lastly good old fashioned parsley and thyme. You can keep them separate or blend them how you like. 

What is nice about most herbs is that you can effectively grow them in small containers. This makes it handy if you live in an apartment or have a small yard area. Even if you don’t have either of these options there's always the window sill which works great as well. Just make sure it gets lots of sun. Another option if you don’t have a green thumb is in the summer months when these herbs are readily available at vegetable stands, and the grocery store buy a bunch. There is no rule that says you can use what you purchase.

Once you have your herbs growing nicely you can clip them to use fresh during the summer and fall season. What I wind up doing is two to three harvests because they grow so well. Now I know you may be thinking, “ok great what do I do with them now? “

To start with put them in your colander and wash them off. One of the things about growing yourself is insects do like plants. The nice thing is they wash off. Pat the herbs dry with a paper towel and then you can begin. Gently take them off the stems placing them on each layer of the dehydrator until it is full.Very small leaves you can leave on a small section of stem and later remove when dry.  If you don’t have one and cannot afford to pick one up new keep your eye’s open at garage sales, flea markets etc as people get them and never use them. A little cleaning and they are as good as new.

Option two is the old fashioned way which is to bunch them tying the ends together in a bouquet and hanging them upside down in your kitchen. When I do it this way I will usually use the window over my sink that way I can check them and they usually smell great as they dry.

Your third option is to use the oven, you can do this with a cookie sheet spreading the leave out on the try and setting your oven to its lowest setting. This is not the most economical option, but in a pinch it will do.

After you have checked you leaves making sure they are completely dried out. You will know they are when they crumble very easily. You should be able to smell their scent now on your fingers. Take your dried leave and put them in a clean mason jar or other type of ceiling jar. You can stuff the jar as full as you can. Do not be afraid to press down on the leaves, having them crumble isn’t a bad thing here.

If you want them chopped up finer you can use a food processor, bullet or even your coffee grinder. Just make sure you wipe it out between if your are working with more than one herb.

This process takes several hours when using the oven or dehydrator, the nice thing is you can go about your day and just check on it. On a special note if you are using a dehydrator rotate your trays every now and then. This evens out the processing. As I said most people don't realize what you spend on herbs . If you go for organic you can pay up to $20.00 for .25 oz jar. or as little as $3.00 for the cheaper brands. When you grow it yourself, you have the advantage of knowing its safe for your kids. Its fresh and hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for a year. You also know it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals which aren’t good for you. Here is a list of just some of the herbs you can dry yourself, some can even be used around the house or in the tub. But that is for another day.

Parsley Basil Oregano

Dill Mint Rosemary

Tarragon Chives Green onion

Lavender Cilantro Sage

Spearmint Lemon Mint Catnip

Lemon Balm …....................... and so many more.