Save Extra Herbs Drying Method

The easiest way to save extra herbs is by using the air-drying method. It’s not uncommon to find your backyard taken over by a jungle of basil leaves and mint. You might think what am I supposed to do with all of these extra herbs? This simple process will explain how you can put that excess produce to good use!

Don’t be afraid to trim your herbs!

There’s nothing like having fresh herbs on hand while cooking your favorite dish. But honestly, we only need to trim off a little sprig here and there. Instead of just cutting the tiny bit that you need, don’t be afraid to give your plant a good trim to save your extra herbs.

I used to be scared to do this. I thought if I chopped too much off the plant wouldn’t come back! I’ve gotten over that now, you can actually see me going ham cutting up our herb garden in our YouTube video related to this post. Not only will this give you nice long stems to work with, but it keeps your herbs healthy and stimulates them to grow more!

Parsley sage rosemary and thyme

Actually, I only had basil, rosemary, mint, Italian oregano, and lemon thyme to work with this time around, but I couldn’t resist that title heading.

After you’ve gathered up a good basket full of herbs, it’s time to group them together into little bundles. I recommend about a handful for each bunch. Once your herbs start to dry they may shrink down a little bit so don’t worry if your herb bunches look more like herb bouquets at first. I use twine to tie everything together but any type of string or yarn would work just fine. Be sure to make your string long enough because you will be hanging these up to dry.

How cute is that already? So now that you have all of your herbs tied up it’s time to figure out where you can hang them and what you are going to hang them on.

Pick a well-ventilated dry place to hang your herbs.

I originally used an extra piece of wood laying around in the garage. I would tie all of my herbs up on that and hang them in the kitchen.

Recently, I found an old iron tobacco drying rack at an estate sale (at least that’s what they told me it was). I’ve been using it ever since. I also found a really neat drying method using screens instead of hanging them up with string here. You don’t need to run out and get anything fancy, just make sure you will be able to tie and hang up your herbs on it.

Most people hang them up in their kitchen somewhere. I remember my mother used to hang her extra herbs, corn, and flowers inside a screened-in porch area. Basically, you want a well-ventilated dry area to get the best results.

I’ve been told to put paper bags over my herbs while they dry to protect them from the sun. I’ve personally hung my herbs both near the window and away from the window. It really didn’t make much of a difference to me. I try to keep things simple. Know what I mean?

Let your herbs dry for about one to two weeks.

Texas is pretty hot during the summer and I’ve noticed my herbs drying out in as little as a week, sometimes less than that. But to be on the safe side, I would recommend letting them dry anywhere from one to two weeks.

You want your leaves to look and feel a little crinkled and crunchy. Sometimes the leaves will get so dry, they start to fall off on their own. No worries if that happens that just means you’re ready for the next step.

Removing the herbs from their stems is easy but it can get a little messy. Your herbs are now completely dehydrated and could fly everywhere if you’re not careful. I usually grab a bowl and strip my herbs over it. This will avoid a huge mess.

I just run my pinched fingers down the stem in the opposite direction of the leaf growth. Most of the leaves fall right off this way. I get the rest of the leaves by pinching them individually and crunching them together until they come loose and fall in the bowl.

Little mason jars are great for storing your extra herbs.

I like to store my dried extra herbs in little mason jars, I keep them right on my kitchen countertop where I know I will reach for them. I label each jar with a black sharpie marker. If for some reason I need to remove the label, I find some rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad do the trick.

People have asked me how long they should store the herbs in jars. To be honest, I use them up way too fast to notice if they are going to go bad. Chances are, if you keep your herbs out in the open you will likely use them up as well.

Tips for saving your extra herbs and maintaining your herb garden.

1. Make sure you are using good quality trimming sheers when you are cutting your herbs. A clean-cut will help avoid any damage to the plant.
2. Look into using a drip irrigation system to water your garden. This will help keep your plants watered at a steady rate. It’s great for people (like me) who forget to water all the time!
3. Buying herbs at your local grocery store is fine, but consider consulting a local nursery near you before you do that. They typically have a knowledgeable person that will help you pick out the best plant for your area.
4. Get creative. Now that you have more than enough fresh and dried herbs on hand, season your food more! It sure beats paying 5 dollars for a tiny container of the exact same thing at the supermarket!

Want to see more about the process of saving your extra herbs via the drying method?

Check out our YouTube video below:

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