Tag: drying herbs

Quick Tip – Saturday Reruns/Using the Heat at Hand

On By TimelessladyIn Quick Tip8 Comments

Some of my best tips are buried, way, way back in the archives of the blog.  Give this flash-drying tip a try, you will be amazed at how well it works.

Using the trunk of my car to flash-dry parsley and other herbs has been one of my better “quirky” ideas. Gently rinse fresh herbs, dry on a towel, lay in a single layer on a metal cookie sheet, place in your HOT car.

Parsley, and most other herbs, dry to a perfect crispness in only three days. The leaves lose none of their brilliant green color or sensational scent as they dry. I’m thrilled with the results.

In the photo above I’ve dried lemon balm, thyme, and basil. At this stage, the herbs are very dry. To further ensure they have no moisture left in their leaves I keep them in labeled brown lunch bag for a week or two longer, before final storage in a jar or plastic bag.

  • One note…basil does not retain its brilliant green color, but the flavor is still intact.

Give this easy drying technique a try…flowers work too!

Quick Tip – Using the Heat at Hand – Part II

On By TimelessladyIn Quick TipLeave a comment

IMG_7311

I’ve posted in the past about drying herbs quickly on a tray or towel in the trunk of my car. I’ve also pressed flowers in this way…the technique works. Recently, I’ve gone an even quicker route. I place clean herbs in brown paper lunch bags, clip the top shut with a clothespin, and leave them inside the hot cab of the car for a day or two. I then shake the bag a little, and place it in the top of a dark closet. Within a week, the herbs are ready to package up and use. Give this a try. Your car might smell a little like an Italian restaurant, but that’s not a bad thing at all.

Plants – Dry Your Herbs the Super-Easy Way

On By TimelessladyIn Plants10 Comments

IMG_6932

I love Lemon Basil. Not only does this wonderful herb have the kick of basil, it also has a lemony taste and smell. Lemon Basil thrived in my garden this summer and the time for a first harvest soon arrived.

I dried a good portion of the lemon basil in my turkey roaster, on low heat, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. Experimenting with an interesting technique for drying herbs was my choice for the remainder of the basil. In an online article from Mother Earth Living, I recently read of drying herbs uncovered in the fridge. I decided to give it a try. Mother Earth Living – Dry Your Herbs in the Fridge.

IMG_6935

I placed the basil in a dish…

IMG_6937

…And wedged it in the back corner of the fridge. Within a few days the basil was completely dried out.

IMG_7009

The two techniques, after drying, side by side.

IMG_7010

When mixed together, there are no obvious differences in either basil. Both are nicely dried and ready to be stored for using at a later date. Both techniques have their pluses: drying in the turkey roaster is quick, although you run the risk of over-drying and destroying the flavor. Drying in the fridge takes a few days, but there is no danger of burning your herb. Experiment and let me know if the fridge-drying technique works for you.