How to Dry Herbs, Roots and Bulbs

Herbs selected for drying should not be washed. Just gather them in a clean basket on a misty early morn and bring them inside. If they are small, lay them to dry on a clean mesh screen. You can place the screens anywhere it is warm and dry. If a plant is whole, meaning stem, leaves, and all, then try this technique: You'll need screw-in cup hooks and fish line or any transparent string. Screw cup hooks to various walls in the room, high enough so that people can walk into the room underneath the hanging herbs. Now tie the line to one hook then bring it across the room and tie it to another hook. With a little ingenuity you can make a cool crisscross pattern. Now tie a bunch of herbs at a time — maybe three or four plants tied together — to the plant "clothesline". Bingo, you've got a 17th-century cottage ceiling.

Bulbs, like Garlic should be pulled from the ground in the Fall and "cured" by being air dried outdoors for two weeks. You can then hang the bulbs as decoration in the kitchen.

Roots should be scrubbed clean and cut into small segments to insure a thorough drying. The screens are perfect for roots.

Herbs usually take two to three weeks to fully dry. You can tell when a plant is dry because it will snap, crumble or powder when you break it with your fingertips. Store the herbs in airtight containers. I use recycled bottles and jars once I've managed to sterilize them. Both dishwasher and boiling water can do this. The best jars for storage are green, amber, and dark brown because they protect from sunlight. For highest potency dried herbs should be used within 6 to 8 months but I've used herbs stored much longer, even up to 2 years.

...Sakara Ani     

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