{Simple Home} Drying herbs

I cook with herbs pretty much daily. They can make an average meal great without adding calories, and are full of goodness as well as flavour. Did you know for example that sage can enhance memory, or that two teaspoons of thyme contain more than half your dietary reference intake of vitamin K, and that rosemary can improve circulation and digestion?!

We grow our own herbs through the summer months in our patio garden, picking them as we need for salads and marinades. In late September, early October, just before herbs tend to go a bit woody, we harvest the last of them and hang them to dry ready to be used through the autumn and winter months in infusions, stocks, soups and stews. You can dry most all herbs, this year I have chosen sage, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme and chives since that’s what we had in our garden.

To dry your herbs simply snip bunches of fresh green herbs from the garden, brush them or lightly wash them before tying them with some twine at the stalk end. Hang them upside down in a dry, sunny spot. I’ve used a large hook on the wall for this in the past but this time I hung them from the drying rack my mum gave me for Christmas last year. You can find a similar one here. I’ve also seen people hang bunches from shaker style pegs which looks rustic and pretty in a country kitchen.

The drying takes a few days – you know when they’re ready because they feel almost crispy to the touch. You can either cut all the dried leaves into labelled glass jars to keep in a cupboard, or if you’re lazy like me, just snip as required straight from the bunch and enjoy the pretty display hanging in your home.