A simple guide to drying herbs

So you have a great herb garden in your backyard -- now what? Try drying these herbs so they can be stored and used in the future. Here's a simple guide to drying your herbs:

Herb leaves can be air-dried if spread out on a drying rack.

• Make a rack by stretching nylon insect gauze or clean hessian over an old picture frame, then tacking it around the outer edge, or simply use an old insect screen from a window or door.
• Place the drying rack in a dim, well-ventilated place, such as beside a slow-combustion stove.
• A steady temperature of 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) is ideal and there must not be any moisture in the air.
• Turn the herbs each day until they are so dry that they crumble to the touch.

To oven-dry herbs, lay them out on brown paper (with a few perforations to aid air circulation) on the oven shelf.

• Set the oven to 50°C (122°F) (any higher may brown the leaves and spoil the flavour) and leave the door slightly ajar to allow moisture to escape.
• Turn the herbs after an hour, and leave for another hour or until crisp and dry.
• Even faster is microwave drying. Lay the fresh herbs between paper towels (two layers, top and bottom), place on the oven carousel and set the microwave oven on high.
• The time taken to dry depends on the leaves' moisture content, so after about a minute check every 10 seconds or so.
• Remove the herbs when they are crisp.

As soon as the leaves or seeds are completely dry, remove them from the stem (if they have been dried in paper bags this can often be done by simply shaking the bag).

• The stems can be saved to flavour vinegars.
• Most herbs are crumbled and stored in jars.
• Bay leaves are an exception, and should be stored whole.
• Seeds also are stored whole.
• Small glass jars are best to use for storage, as a little of the aroma is lost each time the jar is opened; the jars should have tight-fitting lids and should be kept in a cool, dark place.
• Label and date each jar.
• Dried herbs have a shelf life of 12 months, after which they should be added to the compost heap.

It's as simple as that! Nothing makes a homemade pasta sauce like your own fresh herbs, and now you can store them and add them to anything you cook. It's the perfect secret ingredient!

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