Drying herbs, step by step
Interactive lesson: from picking to the jar — when to pick, how to prepare, drying in the shade, checking they are dry and storing them for a year.
Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Drying and storing herbs module. Already bought? Unlock
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The whole lesson as text
1. Picking for drying
The quality of dried herbs is decided on the day they are picked.
- Morning, dry weather — Pick in the morning, once the dew is off, in dry weather. Dry them the same day.
- Leaves and tops — Pick mint, lemon balm, sage and nettle leaves before flowering. For St John's wort and oregano, cut the top 15–30 cm, from the start to full flowering.
- Flowers freshly open — Chamomile, calendula, lime, elder and lavender: 1–3 days after opening. Pick the heads and clusters without long stalks.
- Don't pick too much — Don't pick more than you can spread on racks within 2–3 hours. Five kilos of mint left in a basket in the sun for one afternoon turns into a black, sweaty mass.
Why: Herbs picked wet, wilted or overripe cannot be made good by drying. Most home-grown herbs are lost somewhere between the garden and the shelf.
- Better three smaller pickings over three days than one big one that spoils.
- Herbs that have sweated in a basket or bag (warmed up, darkened, smell sour) are not dried. They go on the compost.
2. Preparing
Before the rack, herbs need cleaning, and roots need washing and cutting.
- Don't wash leaves or flowers — Don't wash them unless they are dirty. So pick in clean places and not after rain has splashed soil onto the leaves.
- Scrub the roots — Roots are always scrubbed with a brush under running water.
- Cut the roots — Thin roots stay whole. Thicker ones are split lengthways and cut into 1–2 cm pieces.
- Sort straight away — Remove grass, yellow, diseased and eaten leaves, insects and anything that is not that plant. For foraged herbs this is also a second identification check.
Why: Water lengthens drying, washes out scent and raises the risk of mould. Thick marshmallow and comfrey roots dry slowly and go mouldy easily if they are not cut up.
- If washing leaves cannot be avoided, rinse briefly under a running tap, shake and spread on a cloth to dry on the surface.
- Pick and prepare nettles in gloves.
3. Bunches and racks · Locked
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4. Shade and temperature · Locked
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5. Is it dry? · Locked
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6. Jar and shelf · Locked
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