One of my biggest dreams ever was to have a garden so I could have fresh herbs all year around for cooking. Now that we finally have a lovely garden full of herbs, veggies and fruits I’m having more than I asked for and I need to dry my herbs in order to store it for later.
I love using fresh and dried herbs in my cooking. They add depth and flavour to the dishes and they remind me of my family’s cooking which was always full of flavour and love. Picking herbs from our garden makes my heart full as it reminds me of my nonna choosing the right herbs to add to her cooking.
How To Dry Your Own Herbs
Preparing your herbs to dry is easy but it’s an essential step in order to be able to store it for longer.
You need to make sure your herbs are fully dry before storing. Any moisture will encourage mould growth and will spoil the whole batch.
Each herb has a slightly different process too and you can choose how you want to keep your herbs for later use.
How to Dry & Store: Oregano, Sage, Thyme & Rosemary
- Pick the herbs and make sure you remove any impurities (such as spiders, ants and foreign sticks…)
- Wash them thoroughly
- Place it flat, without overlaps, over a piece of cloth or paper towel
- Let it sit to dry completely for about a week
- Remove stems and set aside the leaves
- Chop or blitz the leaves until desired texture
- Store in a dry container
- Enjoy!
Where to Use Your Dried Herbs
Oregano:
- Tomato based sauces
- Bolognese
- Pizza
- Breads
- Spring salads
- Eggplant dishes
Rosemary:
- Oils & butters
- Roast root vegetables
- Potatoes and other root vegetables
- Breads like ciabatta
Thyme:
- Casseroles
- Vegetable soups
- Roasts
- Stock
- Carrots & leek
Sage:
- Creamy pastas
- White sauces
- Butter sauce
- Onion soups
What are your favourite herbs? And where do you use them most?
Let me know in the comments!
Peace and love,
Larissa x
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3 Comments
Kevin H
17/07/2019 at 6:26 pmI admit that I’m guilty of buying my dried herbs from the supermarket. I think the one I use the most is Oregano, and then a “mixed herbs” bottle. I should probably look at what is actually included in that mix!
Maybe I’ll Strat growing my own Oregano and drying it as it looks pretty easy! If you’ve properly dried it, roughly how long do you think it could keep for Larissa?
Larissa Tedesco
18/07/2019 at 10:49 amWe’ve all been guilty of that…but the fact is, it’s a lot cheaper to do it yourself. If you dry it properly it will last just as much as the ones you buy in the supermarket. Avoiding moisture is key! 😉
Kevin H
19/07/2019 at 11:00 pmBrilliant, thanks very much! I’ll give it a go 🙂