homesteading tips: herb drying

An old barn or dry basement is very useful for drying herbs.

To make these days of bounty in the garden last as long as possible, we're busy gathering, drying, tincturing, & canning -- & I thought a quick review of some drying techniques might be helpful.​ My favorite methods are hanging, screen drying, & bagging. I know many people now use dehydrators, but I like to keep it more ‘Old School’ with my methods!

For Hanging: This is the easiest, simplest method; no special equipment is needed here--just some twine & some room. And let’s be honest-- when you walk into a place with big bunches of herbs hanging everywhere it just feels like HOME [ever been to the Odd Alewives Brewery?  They get it!]  Hanging works best for long stemmed plants & some cooking herbs, anywhere the aerial parts are what 

you are after [as opposed to seeds, roots, or dense plant material.] ​Simply cut [I like to keep my stems as long as possible] your plants & strip the leaves from the bottom 2 inches or so of the stems; then tie ‘em into a bundle with twine, leaving enough of a tail to make a hanging loop. Try not to ‘pack’ the stems too tightly, as some airflow is wanted to evenly dry everything. 

Paper bags are great for keeping dust out of your herbs.

You can then hang them almost anywhere, but cool, dry spaces are best. Depending what they're for & where they're hung, I sometimes overlay herb bundles with clean paper bags to protect them from dust. This is easily done by cutting a hole in the bottom of a small paper bag & sliding it over the bunch just below the hanging loop.​​​ Once things are properly dried, you can clean & jar them for storage.

Screen Drying: This method is great for roots, large flower heads, loose leaves, short stemmed herbs, & dense items [like small rose buds.] For example, I dry my ground ivy on large screens as the plant shape & size doesn’t lend itself to bundling for hanging. You can buy drying screens of all sorts in garden centers & online. Look for ones with ‘feet’ so you can ensure good airflow on all sides of your materials. Small gauge drying screens are also very useful for winnowing [see this week’s Amaranth blog ;D] I have a lovely GIANT set my husband built for me with deep trays that stack, ​

which is a great added bonus as it saves space too! Additionally, drying screens are lovely for long term storage [like in a root cellar] of fruits & veggies, really providing great airflow. They are worth making or buying if you plan to dry or store a lot of items.

This is a lovely vintage drying-screen I found on Etsy.

Bagging: Dry-Bagging is a perfect way to easily dry seed & grain harvests, think coriander seeds & sunflowers. I also find it helpful for very fragile flowers such as chamomile, where all the petals are likely to fall off during the drying process.  Simply pop your materials into clean paper bags, label & date, then seal them off-- I like to staple mine, but have seen people tie them off. Then place your bags in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. Give ‘em a shake once in a while to help separate the seeds from ​

the plants. Bags can also be used for seed collection for planting the next year by placing whole heads inside--as they dry, they release the seeds safely inside.  ​

That's it for this post--short & sweet! Hope you found this info helpful. I would love to hear what you are harvesting & drying right now & which methods you use.
Until next time--Take care!