How to dry herbs - From fresh garden herbs!
Imagine how your dishes will taste this winter if you have your own garden herbs to add to them. Its easy to dry or freeze some for a year-round supply of good quality herbs! Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. You don't need any special equipment: air drying or room drying is the easiest, as well as, most inexpensive method for preserving herbs. Moisture evaporates slowly and naturally during air drying, leaving the precious herb oils behind. Dehydrators (see this page for more info, models and prices of food dryers) are useful if you want to dry large quantities of herbs or you have high moisture herbs such as basil.
Directions for Freezing herbs
Ingredients and Equipment
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Instructions
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Start with fresh herbs - as fresh as you can get. |
Step 1 - Which method for which herb?Click on the blue link below that corresponds to the herb you want to dry, as the method vary with different herbs!
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TipsTo release the full flavor, crush whole herb leaves or use a mortar and pestle to grind, just before adding to the recipe. When using dried herbs, add to soups and stews during the last half-hour of cooking or follow recipe directions. Be creative and add dried herbs to flavor your favorite foods. Only use a microwave oven as a last resort for drying, as microwaves literally cook the herbs producing very poor quality.
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If you're interested, here's more information and where you can get a vacuum food sealer. |
A vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag is on top at left. You can see how the FoodSaver really sucks out all the air, so
the herbs won't dry out or get freezer burn. That means the food inside will
last many times longer. I've been using them (and their predecessor in
the marketplace, Seal-a-Meal) for many years. If you're interested,
here's where you can get one. TIP: If you don't a vacuum food sealer to freeze foods, place food in a Ziploc bags, zip the top shut but leave enough space to insert the tip of a soda straw. When straw is in place, remove air by sucking the air out. To remove straw, press straw closed where inserted and finish pressing the bag closed as you remove straw. |
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