How to Dry Fresh Herbs: Air Dry, Dehydrator, Oven or Microwave
Come learn how to preserve and dry fresh herbs four ways: air dry, in a dehydrator, oven, or microwave to create vibrant, flavorful and long-lasting dried herbs. We'll also cover tips how to harvest, wash, and store dried herbs.
Equipment
- fresh herbs
- your choice: dehydrator, oven, air dry (screen or twine for bundles) or a microwave
- strainer and/or salad spinner for washing herbs
Instructions
Prep
- Harvest fresh herbs in the morning. Try to collect the more fresh, tender parts of green herbs, or young just-bloomed flowers (for calendula, chamomile, lavender, etc).
- Sort to remove any battered/bruised leaves and erroneous sticks
- Wash and rinse herbs under cool water to remove dirt, insects and other debris (especially for edible herbs)
- Shake and/or gently pat dry, then spread washed herbs out on a clean towel on top of trays or the counter to air dry for a couple hours to remove excess moisture
Air Drying Herbs
- Hanging bundles: Collect a generous handful of herbs and tie the stems together at the base with twine or string. Keep the bundle loose/small enough to have good airflow between the herbs. Good for herbs with long woody stems, like rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme, yarrow, and lemon verbena.
- Laying flat: Spread the herbs out in a single layer on a screen or herb drying rack. Ideal for loose leaves, flowers, or herbs that are more difficult to bundle like sage, calendula, chamomile, lavender buds,
- Air dry herbs in a temperate dry location with good air circulation, away from direct sunlight.
- Most herbs will air dry within one to two weeks, though a couple extra weeks will help ensure they're fully dry.
Dehydrator
- Spread washed herbs out in a single layer on food dehydrator trays.
- Set your dehydrator to a low temperature setting (95-115°F). Drying herbs “low and slow” helps to retain the maximum nutritional value, color, flavor, and therapeutic compounds in the herbs. Yet using low heat will take longer to dry (up to a couple days), so you can increase to a medium heat (135F) to expedite the process for thicker herbs like rosemary.
- The time is takes to dry herbs in a dehydrator will vary depending on your machine, temperature setting used, and the type of herb. Most should be dry within 8 to 12 hours, or up to a couple days.
Oven
- Spread herbs out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or on a wire baking rack with solid pan below it.
- Set the oven temperature to 150-180°F (65-82°C) or the lowest setting possible. Anything over 180°F will likely burn them! Prop the oven door open slightly if needed to prevent overheating.
- It will take anywhere from two to four hours (or longer) to dry herbs in the oven. Be sure to check on them often, and rotate the trays or turn the herbs as needed to promote even drying.
Microwave
- Spread clean herbs on a microwave-safe plate lined with a paper towel (but not recycled paper towels), or on a 100% cotton lint-free clean kitchen towel. Lay another paper towel on top.
- Microwave the herbs for 30 to 60 seconds on high power one initial time. More thick, hearty herbs will need about 60 seconds for the first round, while thin tender herbs should be nuked for about 40 seconds.
- Continue to microwave the herbs in short bursts (20-30 seconds) until they’re completely dry, brittle, and easily crumble. Check and turn them in between each session.
Herbs are Done Drying When....
- Herbs are done drying once they’re completely brittle and crunchy. They should easily crumble or snap when you try to break them, rather than having any give or bend. If they are still bendy, that means they still contain moisture and can spoil in storage. Keep on drying until they’re 100% crisp!
Storing Dried Herbs
- Strip the leaves from the stems. Do this over a piece of parchment paper, which is easy to fold and funnel into a jar.
- For the best long-lasting flavor and potency, keep and store leaves whole (wait to grind them) until close to the time of use.
- Store dried herbs in a cool dark location in air tight containers with a lid. There, they should last for well over a year.
- Use a food processor, coffee grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle to grind herbs into finer pieces before use. Some can easily crush by hand.
- TIPS: Amber-tinted glass jars are great at protecting herbs from light degradation if you want to store them out on open shelves. If you live in a very humid climate, consider using natural food grade desiccant packets inside jars to help keep them dry.
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