Drying Herbs

Ok...I am not an expert in this subject, and I am just going to say here what works for me when I dry herbs. Like many of the things I do...if its not fast and effective, chances are I will not stick with the program! So...here is what I do to dry herbs. Not including drying time, this should only take you a few minutes!

#1 Select the herb you want to dry for future use. If possible, make sure it is not right after it has rained, as this diminishes the oils and flavor.

#2 Anytime after the dew is dry, cut a good handful of the herbs, making sure to shake all the dirt or sand off them, if they are low to the ground.

#3 Bring them inside, and place them one layer thick on...anything handy that you wont need for a week or so. A plate, paper bag, etc.

#4 Put it up on top of the fridge or cupboard. Forget about it for about a week, or until they are brittle. I have left them up there for a month when I totally forgot they were up there. They didn't go anywhere, and were fine! If you leave them too long, they will lose their flavor, though.

#5 With clean hands, roll the herbs in your hands to break them into small pieces, discarding the stems. I do this over a paper plate or something flexible to I can just curl it into a taco shape to scoot the herbs into their next home, which will be...

#6 ...an airtight container. Vital! I had a friend who did steps 1-6 but didn't know about the airtight container. I asked to use some of her oregano that she had processed and it had no flavor whatsoever...but she had kept it in a jar with no lid. We both learned from it.