How to Dry Herbs - P. Allen Smith

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Video Transcription: How to Dry Herbs - P. Allen Smith

So you planted herbs this summer, tended them with care and now you are ready to harvest them for use in recipes. While fresh herbs are e delight, don't forget to dry some too. Drying herbs is a simple process and really doesn't take much time. You can air dry herbs by suspending them in bundles but I prefer to use the oven. It's almost instant gratification, leaves won't get dusty and I don't have to worry about finding a good spot for the process. to get started gather herbs in the early morning after the dew has evaporated but before the sun gets too intense. wash them and completely pat dry. Remove the leaves from the stems and spread them on a cookie sheet or a recycled aluminum tray. place the herbs in the oven heated to it's lowest temperature for several hours and check them regularly. once dried, just crush or crumble them and place in airtight jars that are labeled and dated. store your dried herbs in a cool, dark place. Here's a recipe for an all-purpose mix that's good on meats and vegetables. Here's a recipe for an all-purpose mix that's good on meats and vegetables, the ingredients are:

1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried thyme
< 1 tablespoon dried rosemary,

Mix all the ingredients and place in an airtight jar, this recipe makes about 1/2 cup.

After six months to a year fresh herbs lose their flavor. if the fragrance is still strong, the herbs are still usable and viable, one other good thing to know, when you substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs in a recipe, use half the amount, the essential oil are concentrated in dried herbs, don't have to use as much.