Comments on: Herb harvest signals beginning of season’s end

By: Preservation update: apples frozen; herbs dried | foodperson.com

Preservation update: apples frozen; herbs dried | foodperson.com — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:08:07 +0000

[...] there were the late-harvest herbs. I didn’t fuss over them like I did the mint. I just snipped them, rinsed them, let the water [...]

By: The Ethicurean: Chew the right thing. » Blog Archive » Waiting is the harvest part

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:42:14 +0000

[...] Having used various herbs — mint, sage, rosemary — throughout the summer, she took the time to gather and dry bundles of her remaining herbs to use during the winter. Considering how beautifully she has used her herbs [...]

By: Janet Majure

Janet Majure — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:54:09 +0000

Thanks for the tips, Joanne and Jennifer. I probably worry to much about doing it “right.” I got a big bunch of parsley in my CSA bag today, and maybe I’ll try to dry some of it, too. Thanks for the idea, Jennifer.

By: Jennifer (Baklava Queen)

Jennifer (Baklava Queen) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:05:43 +0000

If need be, Janet, you could finish drying the herbs in the oven (on a parchment-covered baking sheet, lowest temp possible, for maybe an hour). I took down a bunch of parsley I’d had drying for a couple of weeks, and it wasn’t fully dry since my place is a little humid, so I finished it in the oven. Just fine now!

By: Joanne

Joanne — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:05:48 +0000

I’ve dried a bunch of herbs. I don’t usually wash them before hanging up–usually the herbs aren’t too “dirty” and the washing adds a lot of moisture in an already very humid climate. Also, I don’t worry too much about whether or not they dry in sunlight. They grew in sunlight, and the flavor didn’t fade. Fading of flavor seems to happen when they are dry and old. Old herbs just lack zing. When they dry, it helps to crumble and store in jars rather than leave them out as dried bunches…but most of the time, the zing lasts the winter, in my experience, and that’s all we need. Maybe I’m not too scientific about all this, but honestly, it hasn’t been a problem!