How To Dry Herbs So They Retain Their Nutrients, From An Herbalist

If you've ever attempted to dry your own herbs, the process may have gone something like this:

Drying herbs is simple in theory, but doing it successfully is an art. If you dream of buying seasonal herbs at the farmers market—or learning to grow or forage your own—and drying them for nutrient-rich flavor year-round, read on.

Not only is the drying process climate-specific, but the time of day and even the time of year can also affect moisture levels. Herbs tend to have more moisture in the morning than evening and in the spring than in late fall.

Same idea but even more specific to you. A drafty farmhouse will likely be more susceptible to swings in temperature and humidity than an airtight apartment building. If a heater or fan is blowing, that will have a drying effect. Think about whether your house is hot, cold, dry, damp, or humid.

Is it a dry or wet herb? Sage, for example, is a very dry herb, while chives contain a lot of moisture. Dry herbs like sage and thyme have a shorter drying time than moist herbs like chives or mint.

Now that you've answered the three questions above, it's time to decide which herb-drying method you'll want to use:

Either way, keep the basket out of direct sunlight and blowing air, which in my experience, saps the flavor and beneficial constituents from the plants.

If you're dealing with a more moist plant like peppermint, you'll want to hang individual stems. If a tiny bit of the leaf folds over on itself, the place where it folds can turn black, and you don't want that. 

No matter which method you choose, the herbs are "done" when they're brittle and easy to crumble. If you live somewhere dry, your herbs may easily air dry in just a few days. If you live in a moist and humid climate, your herbs may take four weeks to dry thoroughly, and you may choose to use a dehydrator to speed up the process. Before you store the herbs, check for mold and discard any moldy herbs.

As I mentioned before, drying herbs is an art and may take some practice. Don't get discouraged if they're not perfect the first time. I learned all of the tips here from trial, error, and a willingness to learn from my mistakes. That's the process of discovery that ultimately brings us into deeper wisdom and connection to the plants!