Hello friends! Every late spring, for weeks on end, I'm busy outdoors picking herbs, flowers, and different types of grasses to dry for teas, tinctures, and rubs. Why pick in the spring, when I have all summer? Because I like to get to all the goods before the bugs do! And I feel the grasses are more potent at that time, instead of picking during the hot summer weather when most plants begin to wilt and weaken.
So, I wanted to share with all of you, my tested ways of drying herbs!
But first things first! To wash or not to wash?
Yes, you read that correctly! Believe it or not, not all herbs and flowers need to be washed prior to drying. My rule of thumb - if it's in an open field, high of the ground, (yarrow, St. John's Wort, Elderflower), you don't need to wash it. Plants like Chamomile are very sensitive to being washed in anything but the rain. So, if you're going to plant Chamomile for tea, make sure it's in an animal free area, high off the ground. Anything close to the ground or under a tree should be cleansed. If my picks will be rinsed, I do so by soaking them in a big bowl of cool water for a few minutes to loosen any dirt and then again for 2-3 minutes. Run a little test by filling the bowl with water again, moving your plant matter around to see if anything else is released, but do not squish the plants. You are good to go if the water remains clear! Some people soak their picks in 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar, but I do not care to and often fear that the smell will linger after it is absorbed in the plant. If you're not sure, research the plant you're harvesting to see the best cleaning methods.
Moving on to drying!
Here are the different methods I am going to be comparing today! Oven drying, air drying (flat method), air drying (upside down), and food dehydrator method.
Oven drying involves taking your herbs and placing them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in your oven. The temperature should be the lowest your oven can be set to. Most ovens can only drop down to 170 degrees. Perfect for meringue but not for drying herbs! Believe it or not, it's too warm. Drying your herbs and picks at this temp will leave them darkened, with a 'baked' appearance. They may even smell as if they were burnt. Although they will be edible, you will most likely taste a burnt flavor as well.
Air drying (flat method) involves space, time, unprocessed cotton fabric, or paper towels and plenty of them! This is the method I grew up with and use frequently. To do so, designate an area of the home that doesn't have a ton of movement. Usually a spare bedroom or dining room table will work. The herbs should be spread across, sparingly, onto cotton fabric or paper towels and allowed to dry for weeks on end. Depending on how much is picked, sometimes lining a cookie sheet with paper towels works well. Just remember that the air in the home should be dry and constant. Any humidity can make this a tough process. So here's my suggestion. Make sure the AC is running before you go this route. Confused? For air drying flat... it's humidity and moisture your battling. The cooler 'dry' temp is why this takes weeks on end. I have to say, I use this quite often for the following flower pickings: Yarrow, Elderflower, and Dandelion.
Air drying (upside down method) is when you take your herbs, tie them in a bundle and hang them upside down for weeks on end. Again, you need a dry and constant temperature in the area where the herbs are hanging. I love this method for lavender and that's about it and I suppose it's due to the stalks. For example, basil stems shrink as the dry. That means, you may find scattered branches that have fallen out onto the floor. Another thing to think about is space. To use this method correctly, no herbs should be resting against a wall. (Which I've seen on Pinterest and it drives me nuts!) The herbs should be spaced out with 360 degrees of air flow around them. A covered porch may work if it can stay completely dry during the rain. One of the things I found that work best for this method are using free standing laundry drying racks or garment racks.
*If you're using any of the 3 methods above, you should be checking your plant matter daily for bugs.
The food dehydrator is the last method I'm using for comparison. Personally, it's my favorite. What would take weeks, literally takes hours to days. (Field horsetail dries up so nicely this way.) Food dehydrators can be set up at a super low temp (a dry 95 degrees), which is exactly what your picks need to preserve the goodness. And because your plant matter will dry faster than air drying, all the health benefits are maintained quicker, creating a more potent final product. Not to mention - no bugs - less mess & faster production! You will even notice, less discoloration using this method vs. air drying. Just remember, if you're going to rotate and keep adding plants to the dehydrator, the freshest picks should be placed on the bottom levels of the dehydrator to remove risk of moisture affecting that which is already dried mid-way. For under $50, it's definitely worth the investment!
The picture above is a comparison. I don't know about you, but I can totally see a color difference. The mint on the right (dehydrator side) is more green and vibrant.
No matter what method you decide to choose, just make sure that your dried herbs are stored in anything but plastics. Even food safe plastic bags & tupperware are a no-no in my book.
Airtight jars or tins work the best. The reason - plastics were technically designed for short term food storage regardless of the "BPA free" notes. Your dried plant matter can be stores for years if done correctly!
And last... your plant matter should be sooooooooo dry that it literally crinkles and breaks when handled. Only then, should you use your dried plants for ingestion. The slightest bit of dampness can breed microorganisms and mold.
I hope that the comparisons helped everyone with their drying questions! A lot of this info is a result of many months and years of trial and error, and learning from my mother and grandmothers.
Happy drying until next time friends!
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