How to Dry Herbs
How to Dry Herbs
How to Dry Herbs: Four Techniques You Should Know
A Primer on the Ins and Outs of Preserving Your Greens
If you are faced with an abundance of fresh herbs, and
don’t know what to do with it, drying the herbs is the
surest way to minimize food waste and have herbs
on hand that still pack a load of flavor in your
favorite recipes. Don’t waste and instead make
those excess herbs work for you.
How to Dry Herbs
When you dry your own herbs, you can guarantee that they’re
fresh, whereas some store-bought ones may have been sitting
around for a long time before you add them to your grocery
basket. Even if the ones you get at the grocery are flavorful
newly dried, it can help save money to dry them at home,
especially if you’re growing them in a garden.
How to Properly Store Fresh Cilantro
For example, a jar of organic thyme will cost you around $7, whereas
a living plant runs closer to $3. You can save the seeds and plant again
or let it continue to grow and harvest each time you need to replenish
your stash. It can also be helpful when you need to dry all the leftover
cilantro from taco night.
What Herbs Can You Dry
So, now that you’re eager to dry your own herbs, it’s good to
look at what’s available and what dries best. Each herb has
its own nuances such as water content, essential oil levels,
and proclivity to mold, so it’s good to do a little research
before you have at it. Some, like basil, sage, cilantro,
and rosemary prove simple to start since they have
larger, solid leaves and don’t require much
maintenance before the process.
- Others, including tarragon, thyme, and dill
need more care to remove the smaller leaves
from bigger stems. Good news, you can actually
dry any herb you want, just make sure to label
them at the end since piles of dried green leaves
start to look the same.
HERBS CHANGING TO FLAVOR
Keep in mind a lot of people feel herbs change in flavor when
dried, but really the dried version tends to offer more of a punch
per ounce. It’s a slightly different flavor since fresh tastes, well,
greener. That doesn’t mean dry herbs should be ignored. There
are a lot of uses for dried herb. Plus, wouldn’t you rather add a
pinch of dried basil to the spaghetti sauce than skip it? We know
we would!
Drying Methods
The oldest way to dry herbs is to take a bunch, hang it upside
down in a dark and dry basement, attic, or closet, and let nature
do the work. This method can work wonderfully, but it’s not the
only option. Here are four other great ways to preserve those fresh
herbs.
Air Drying
This method has a rich history in culinary and medicinal
lore and was the way most apothecaries and cooks dried
herbs back in the day. You can either hang a bunch
(approximately an inch in diameter) of whole herbs
upside down, as we mentioned before.
- Once all the moisture has left, then crumble the dried
leaves into a container and preserve it. Make sure you
use a rubber band to hold the fresh herbs together, as
when the herbs dry, the stems will shrink and the rubber
band will make sure to keep the bind tight.
other way to dry herbs
The other way to air dry involves plucking the leaves from
the stems and laying them out to dry on a rack or tray—just
make sure there isn’t a breeze that’ll blow the leaves away.
- It’s also a good idea to put the vessel in a clean area without
a lot of dust. Dark and temperate proves best, though if the
only space you have is on top of your fridge, that can work,
too. Both air-drying methods take approximately a week to
complete, all depending on the natural humidity of where
you are. The wetter the air, the longer it will take. A simple
crumble test can determine if they are ready. If you take a
leaf in your palm and crush it, does it come apart easy? If
so, you’re ready to store.
Microwave Drying
That’s right, you can dry herbs in a microwave and it’s pretty
easy to do! First, separate the leaves from stems and wash the
parts you want to save. Once the greens aren’t wet anymore,
microwave between two paper towels for one minute. Check
and if needed continue to zap in 30-second intervals until done.
Dehydrating
A home dehydrator proves a great way to dry herbs in bulk, especially
if your device has mesh inserts, which keep the leaves from falling. Make
sure the leaves are clean and undamaged and then put them in a single
layer on each tray. Cook at the lowest setting for approximately two to
four hours. The hardest part is removing the herbs from the trays. It’s
best to do this over a clean cloth or bowl so the broken bits can be saved
and stored as well.
Oven Drying
Don’t have a gadget to dry herbs? No problem! Your regular oven can also
do the job. It’s best to get a muslin or cheesecloth to lay the plucked leaves
on, that way they won’t stick to a baking pan. Silicone mats also work very
well. Set the machine on the lowest setting and “bake” for around 30 minutes.
You’ll know they are dried when the leaves crumble easily and there’s no pull
when you try and tear them.
How to Store Dried Herbs
Just as you buy a glass bottle of dried herbs at the grocery, this is the best
way to store home-dried herbs. You can save up old bottles or jelly jars
(all cleaned well of course) and use those, or find an airtight plastic
container. The latter might not look as good, but it works just as well.
- When storing, decide if you want to save the whole leaf or
crumble it up. For some items such as basil or mint, it’s
easiest to crush the leaves. The benefit of keeping the leaves
whole is you get a little more fragrance when you crush them
as needed.
How to Store Dried Herbs
How to Cook With Dried Herbs
Overall there’s not much difference in cooking with dried herbs versus
cooking with fresh, that is until it comes to quantity. Because dried foods
tend to intensify the flavor, you need three times the amount of fresh herbs
to give the recipe the same nuances. Of course in some situations, fresh may
taste better. Think tossed in salads, Thai food, and fresh basil on a Caprese salad.
But often the dried works the same way. This proves especially true in meals that
get cooked be that stewed, baked, or fried.
How to Cook With Dried Herbs
Recipes Using Dried Herbs
You can throw dried herbs in a pot of soup, rub onto fish, sprinkle
over a salad, stir into tomato sauce, and so much more. This ingredient
shows versatility and by drying, you are preserving a flavorful season to
use in your cooking all year round. Play around with flavors and try a new
spice blend the next time you whip up dinner. Below are a few of our favorites:
- Cajun Spice Mix
- Baked French Fries
- Grilled Herb Butter and Sourdough Toast
- Herb Salt Substitute Recipe
source : ferdowsnabco