HOW TO DRY YOUR HERBS

Whether purchasing your herbs from a local Farmer's Market or growing them in your own garden it's nice to have good quality herbs all year round. In order to do that you'll need to dry the herbs.

• Start with the best quality herbs available. If you are harvesting, you want to harvest after the morning dew and before the heat of the noonday sun.
• You can purchase a "drying rack" which will allow you to hang your plants in bunches. Or you can create your own rack. Here's a simple idea - use an old window screen, balance it between two chairs - allowing air to flow from top and bottom. Cover with a sheet, clean newsprint or a sheer piece of clean fabric. Then place a single layer of herbs on the rack. Drying time will depend on a few factors - humidity in the air, the amount of water in the plant and the density of the plant. However, you want to dry your herbs as quickly as possible.
• You do not want to dry in direct sunlight for it can leech nutritional value from the herbs. It is best to dry in a warm, dark place like a tool shed, attic or the back seat of a car [make sure there are no strong odors in the air or toxic substances in the vicinity]. You want the herbs to feel like autumn leaves, they should crumble at touch with no moisture detectable. And they should still have the same vibrant color, scent and look of the living plant!