How to Preserve Basil, Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary and Other Herbs

Preserving Your Herb Garden Goodies to Use All Year

There is no arguing that fresh herbs are the best things to use for your best dishes.  Summertime gives us the opportunity to grow all of our favorite herbs in abundance.  So, how do you save these flavors of summer for use in the fall, winter and beyond?  Buying fresh herbs at the supermarket is expensive and makes most of us cringe at the thought since it was free to us all summer long after buying seeds or plants.  

Unless you grow herbs indoors all year, to keep the fresh flavor, generally, there are only two choices.  Freezing or drying.  Most of us buy dried herbs from the spice aisle but how long have they been sitting in those jars?  Drying your own, you'll know exactly how old they are and they will give you more flavor than their store bought counterparts.  Of course, having the alternative of being able to buy them at the store is better than not having them at all.

The best and most flavorful herbs to consider keeping are the ones with the most robust flavors such as oregano, mint, basil, thyme and rosemary.  

Ideally, having a dehydrating machine to dry your herbs would be easiest.  However drying herbs without one is not difficult.  To dry herbs, simply harvest and tie together and hang them upside down in a cool dark place such a closet, basement or under a shady tree outside.  Keep the bunches small so the drying time isn't too lengthy or your harvest will mold rather than dry.  Make sure each bunch has plenty of air to pass through all of it.  When leaves are easily crumbled, they can be stored in an airtight jar.  Saving empty herb and spice jars is an excellent way to store these.  

Another alternative to hanging in bunches is to lay individual leaves, such as sage, between paper towels for drying in layers.  Don't pile these too high or make them too heavy or the mold will be an issue here as well.