How to Dry Herbs the Budget-Friendly Way

Using a few simple steps, learn how to dry herbs by hanging them to dry. This budget-friendly method will yield delicious herbs.

When we planted our window boxes, I knew that we could use the fresh herbs immediately. But I was also very excited to dry these herbs to use beyond the summer growing season.

〈HOW TO BUILD A WINDOW BOX GARDEN〉

The parsley, oregano, sage, and lavender grew quickly in the summer sun.

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WINDOW BOX HERB GARDEN

HOW TO HARVEST FRESH HERBS

Using a small pair of scissors, carefully snip off the fully grown stems.

Every plant looked bare after the pruning. But this leaves room for fresh growth.

Gather each herb cutting up together.

HOW TO AIR DRY HERBS

Separate the herbs into groups of 5-10 stems. Less is better. This is because air is needed to circulate around and through the herbs.

Loosely tie a string around the stems. Make it tight enough that the stems will not fall out, but loose enough that moisture won’t be trapped. If it is too tight, mold could grow.

Hang your herbs in a spot that will not be disturbed for a week or two. Herbs prefer warm, dry, and dark…or at least not direct sunlight. But it’s okay to use whatever space you have, like I did.

I chose to remove the curtain from our homeschool nook and dry our herbs from the curtain rod.

BUDGET-FRIENDLY DRIED HERBS

By simply hanging my fresh herbs inside of my home and leaving them alone, they dried within two weeks. And by drying them out here, they were not in the way either.

〈HOMESCHOOL ROOM MAKEOVER〉

DRIED HERB HARVESTING

You’ll know the herbs are dry when they no longer have any moisture and are easy to crumble.

As an example, let’s walk through the process with this dried parsley.

First, remove the leaves from the stems and get rid of the stems.

By simply using your hands, crush and tear the parsley.

STORING DRIED HERBS

Place the dried herbs in a glass jar and store out of direct sunlight. The herbs are ready to be used immediately. But if it won’t be used for a while, the jar can be stored in the freezer.