how do we all dry our herbs?

[snakeshack]

I've tried hanging in bunches ,microwave,slow oven,single layer on cooling rack on car dashboard (suprisingly quick and effective in the sun) and a food dehydrator which is great for fruit but a little too easy to overcook herbs.we also freeze in cubes and make some vinegar,but i'm talking drying here
whats your best method

[binley100]

On a cake rack on a tray sitting on top of the dishwasher under the worktop ......or in the airing cupboard

[snakeshack]

never considered the airing cupboard,mostly because it's full of towels!

[veggiechicken]

Hanging in bunches in the kitchen or from window latches in other rooms. Usually put them in paper bags while drying as they get so dusty when you forget them

[SarzWix]

I've got a hanging rack thingy (the sort you hang masher, slotted spoon etc on) fastened to the wall above the kitchen radiator. I tie things into bunches and hang them from the rack. Mostly I do that with sage, rosemary, lavender and parsley. Basil and coriander I prefer to use from fresh or frozen, the flavour is better that way.

[binley100]

never considered the airing cupboard,mostly because it's full of towels!

I have a very big airing cupboard........also a ceiling airer in the kitchen but there's never a paper bag around when I want one.......at least laying down i can cover with a paper towel

[Bren In Pots]

I hang mine up from a beam next to the boiler in the living room, it put me of using the airing cupboard after I found mouse droppings there.

[VirginVegGrower]

I hang mine from the trellis wires in summer to dry on bunches. Before I had the poly I dried them on trays with grease proof paper lining and popped them into the airing cupboard. Smelt lovely

[Nelly Undertree]

Chopped roughly and hanging in linen or muslin bags or on a hot windless day outside on a pegged out sheet or in a linen covered basket turned every twenty minutes so they dry evenly and quickly. In winter hanging in bags over the dehumidifier as sadly we can't have a solid fuel fire.

[mothhawk]

For cooking, I use herbs fresh, even in winter there will be a bit of sage, rosemary, thyme or oregano to pick. They're the best herbs for winter stews and soups anyway, and the rest of the year, if it's growing, I use it, if not, I do without.

And I'm past the stage of drying herbs for crafty things like pot pourri or herby pillows. Lavender I pick and put in dry vases around the house. When it's dry I may use flower buds in biscuits and such, or just leave the flowers in the vases.


What herbs do everyone else dry, and what do you use them for?

[veggiechicken]

I'm much the same, MH. I cut the lavender and put it in vases or tie it in bunches that I leave around the house. Otherwise, the only herb I dry is marjoram/oregano, as I like to crumble the leaves onto pizzas and in pasta sauce.

[stella]

Most herbs I use fresh as I find the flavour fades when you dry them.
We have a big lavender field so when the flowers are all cut we spread them out on sheets in rows to dry in the sun and then use the flowers to make lavender oil.

[greenishfing]

I pick my herbs (mainly sage) and give them to my sister who appears a couple of weeks later with a jar containing half of what I gave her nicely dried thanks to her Aga. No idea of the specific method.

[Feral007]

So far we haven't dried them altho we have been talking about it. We just don't seem to have enough spaces for all the things have already. But son has been bringing 'more than needed' herbs when sent out to the garden, and we have one of those things that have a x cut on them and you can stick teatowels into them to hang up (and then they detach and fall on the floor) so he's been using that to keep me supplied and him lazy
I'd like to grow them inside but the cats.........say no more!