Dehydrating Herbs

My gardens are bursting with herbs and I can't use them fast enough! That is where dehydrating them comes in. I have  a simple and inexpensive dehydrator that I purchased about 20 years ago. I use it mostly for herbs, however, I have also made kale chips and dehydrated apples and banana's.

 But, you can also use your oven, microwave or just bundle together and hang.  I have also used the hanging method a lot over the years.  I wrap a rubber band around the stems then slipped part of the rubber band over a hanger and hang somewhere in the house that they would be out of the way, yet still have some warm air circulation. Tip: When hanging your herbs, be sure and keep your bundles small to avoid the herbs from getting moldy. I've seen pictures of wrapping herbs with twine and hooking over hooks or using close pins similar to this photo found on google images.

  For other ideas and further details the National Center for Home Food Preservation is a good resource.

My favorite herbs to dehydrate are mint, basil, oregano and thyme. Once they are dry I prefer to store in mason jars, but any air tight container will work. It is so nice to have your own herbs that you dehydrated yourself, for your own use.

 It's easy!