Air Drying Herbs

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Growing your own herbs and drying for later use ensures quality in freshness and taste as well as the knowledge your herbs were produced totally free of chemicals. The best and most economical way to dry herbs is to air dry. It is best to make this an ongoing process throughout the growing season instead of doing a mass herb drying project.

1. In the mornings, cut stems or branches away from the plant (best to harvest before plant starts flowering) and remove any damaged or diseased leaves.
2. Make sure the herbs are dry – wet herbs quickly turns to mould.
3. Put 4-5 stems/branches together to form a bunch (tie with string or elastic band) and place upside down in a brown paper bag (with some holes cut in the sides for ventilation).
4. Gather the ends of the bag around the bundle and tie closed.
5. Make sure not to overcrowd and place in a warm dry room.
6. In 1-2 weeks the plants should be dry – check for any mould (discard if you find mould).
7. Run your hand over the stem to remove the dried leaves and throw away stems.
8. Store in an air-tight containers away from light.