Interactive lesson

Drying herbs and mushrooms, step by step

Interactive lesson: herbs in the shade and the dryer, safe mushroom identification, cleaning and cutting, temperatures, stringing, the freezer, soaking and signs of poisoning.

Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Drying herbs and mushrooms module. Already bought? Unlock

This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.

The whole lesson as text

1. The same rules for herbs and mushrooms

Herbs and mushrooms are more delicate than fruit and vegetables, so dry them low, fast and without water.

Low temperature — Dry aromatic herbs at up to 35 °C (95 °F). Dry mushrooms at 40–50 °C (105–120 °F).
No washing — Clean mushrooms with a brush and knife. Wash herbs only if they are muddy.
Never in the same batch — Mushrooms have a strong smell that herbs take up, and herbs need a lower temperature. Chamomile would smell of mushrooms.
On the tray the same day — Herbs go on the tray within 2–3 hours of picking, mushrooms the same day. Don't leave them in the basket overnight.

Why: Herbs lose essential oil and colour above 35–40 °C. At too high a temperature mushrooms “stew” in their own juice, darken and turn rubbery. Both spoil quickly after picking.

Herbs sweat in a basket within a few hours, and larvae develop in mushrooms within a day.
Keep mushrooms apart from herbs and fruit: their smell passes to everything.

2. Herbs in the shade and the dryer

Aromatic herbs dry best in the shade, in a draught, or in a dryer on the lowest setting.

Shade and draught — Attic, porch or bunches hung upside down. Mint, lemon balm, sage and thyme at up to 35 °C (95 °F).
A thin layer — Keep the layer on the tray up to 2–3 cm (1 in) and let the air flow. Leaves are done when they rustle and stems snap.
A dryer with a thermostat — An electric dryer with a 35 °C thermostat is good for all herbs. Check it with a thermometer: many heat to 45 °C on “35”.
Seeds for the kitchen — Put dill, caraway or fennel heads upside down in a paper bag, in the shade, for 1–2 weeks. Before the jar, the seed goes 48 hours in the freezer.

Why: The sun bleaches leaves and flowers, and too much heat takes away the aroma. That's why shade, the attic and bunches are best for aromatic herbs. The full method for medicinal and culinary herbs is in H16-05.

Aromatic leaves and tops take roughly 5–10 days in the shade, 6–12 hours in a dryer.
Roots go up to 50 °C, fruits (rose hips, hawthorn) up to 60 °C.