Harvesting & Drying Herbs

Cinnamon Basil

Herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow, harvest, and preserve.  They are beautiful mixed among flowers and vegetables and have both culinary and medicinal uses. An added bonus is they are virtually pest free.  Today I'm am freeze drying basil, cinnamon basil, thyme, and peppermint. To learn how to grow herbs and additional ways to preserve herbs check out these posts:

A Culinary Herb Garden: Herbs to Grow from Seed

A Culinary Herb Garden: Herbs Grown Best from Transplants

Harvesting Herbs:

The best time to harvest herbs is in the morning when the oils are highest in concentration.  Start harvesting basil when the flower stalks just begin to appear.  You can cut down the plant by 1/2 or 1/3 for harvesting and the regrowth and side shoots will give you future harvests.

Thyme and peppermint can be harvested throughout the season.  Harvest before flowers form. Both thyme and peppermint are perennials that will regrow the following year.  All mints are invasive so its best to plant them in pots.

Basil

Drying Herbs

So now that we harvested our herbs, lets preserve these herbs.  There are numerous ways to preserve herbs.  Some can be frozen in oil, used to flavor oils and vinegars, but most people are more familiar with using dried herbs. With the cost of herbs so high, it is very economical to grow and dry your own.

Today I am freeze drying my herbs.  Freeze dried herbs retain more of the original color and are used more like fresh herbs.  You can also use a dehydrator to dry your herbs.

1.  Wash herbs immediately after picking and pat dry with a paper towel.

2.  For large leafed herbs like basil I cut off the individual leaves.  I find cutting with scissors is the fastest method.

3.  For small leaved herbs like oregano, marjoram, and thyme I dry the entire stem and then after drying you can run your finger down each stem and remove just the leaves.

Thyme and Peppermint

4.  Place the leaves on dehydrator trays or freeze dry tray.

5  Immediately place in the freeze dryer.  I do not pre-freeze herbs when freeze drying.

6.  For a dehydrator set the temperature for 110 F and process until brittle.

Freeze Dried Basil

Storing Herbs:

Herbs like a cool, dark, and dry place.  Herbs can be placed in mylar bags with an oxygen absorber for longer storage.  

For those herbs you intend to use throughout the year, find an airtight jar to store them.  You can use small canning jars or cute decorative jars with a seal.

Food Proccessors

You can crush the herbs in a ziplock bag, but I prefer to use my food processor.  Use the chopping blade and chop until fine.  The smell of the crushed herbs is amazing!  Be sure to wash and throughly dry the the processor before doing a different herb. 

                          Spice Storage Jars