My garden is literally bursting at the seams right now. I just planted my tomatoes taking up the last remnants of free space yet I’ve got a few flats of germinating seeds that will need to go somewhere. Hmm. It’s definitely a good problem to have. I’d rather be drowning in a sea of green rather than staring at a barren patch of nothing.
While moving dexterously through my packed garden the other day, I had a thought to share a profile on every herb that I’m growing. And since my lemon balm was literally a monstrous bush at that time, while trimming it back another idea struck me: a general post about drying & storing herbs! So here we are. A little primer on how to harvest, dry, and store your own herbs as well as the first official herb profile on lemon balm. Grab a cup of tea, put on some comfy pants, and let’s get to it!
Harvesting, Drying, & Storing Leafy Herbs
The first time I took advantage of prolonging the life of my herbs by drying them was when I lived in East Texas and was preparing for the first freeze of the season. I had a small collection of culinary herbs on my balcony and knew that it would be easier for me to trim and dry them rather than try to keep them alive with my poor window light and frequent work travel. I did a little research (i.e. googling) and decided the best place to hang them up was my dark pantry. I was able to get a modest amount of mint, thyme, and citrus scented geranium that year. Every time I used them after that I remember feeling more grounded and connected to the earth.
Fast Forward many years and I’ve got about 20 different medicinal & culinary herbs & plants growing along with countless others that were planted from seed and are just germinating. So what do I do with all those plants? Some are experiments to see how well certain varietals do in our climate, some are for culinary uses, and others are for medicinal purposes. When my leafy herbs start to look a little unruly, I cut and harvest them for drying. Here’s how I do it:
+ Once an herb is established, I trim off up to 50% of the aerial parts (stems/leaves). Make sure to do this is in the morning before the plant has been exposed to direct/hot sun. When it comes to the trimming, it’s best to use a sharp knife/scissors so that you are able to make clean cuts without damaging the remaining plant.
+ When you’ve got all the cuttings you want, bring everything inside and give it a good rinse. Lay out a couple of clean towels, then arrange your herbs over them to air dry. At this point, remove any damaged or discolored leaves and discard them.
+ After the herbs have mostly dried off, gather 4 to 6 stems at a time (of the same type of herb) and tie them together with a piece of twine or yarn.
+ There are several options when it comes to hanging the herbs to dry. My current set up is two different lengths of yarn that are hung across the ceiling in my room. I’ll take a tied off bundle of herbs and using either a binder clip or clothespin, I’ll attach the stem end to the yarn. In the past with smaller amounts of herbs I’ve used a push pin to hang a couple of bundles on the wall as well as draped bundles over a hanger, then suspended the hanger from a door frame. Whatever works, right?
+ While I have herbs hanging I try to keep the ceiling fan on low in the room for the majority of the first week to help circulate air and aid in drying everything out. This is particularly important in humid climates. If you have a dehumidifier that will work perfectly, too.
+ Now we wait! Depending on the type of herb, the temperature, and the humidity levels in your house, it will take between 2 to 4 weeks to fully dry out leafy herbs. The herbs are ready when crunchy to the touch. You can always remove one leaf and test it for readiness by rubbing it between your palms. If it crumbles easily it’s ready!
+ Line your countertop with a clean kitchen towel (or paper towels, parchment paper, etc). Carefully remove all of the leaves from the stem making sure to crush the leaves as little as possible. Discard or compost the stems.
+ Store your dried herbs in sealed glass containers in a dark pantry or on a shelf that does not get direct sunlight. Make sure to label the contents along with the date they were bottled.
+ Note: When using dried herbs, it’s best to crush them up a bit first to break down the cell walls and help them release their oils.
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