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Homegrown herbs are easy to dry for culinary use, but some herbs dry better than others. In these cases, alternative techniques yield fresher-tasting, more flavorful herbs for cooking in winter. We found a collection of web pages about drying and curing food gathered in the Food Preservation corner of Yahoo!'s Directory. Since our focus was on drying herbs, we clicked over to "Web Page Matches" for a promising harvest of search results. The Herb Garden
recommends air-drying small quantities of the most sturdy, woody-stemmed herbs -- sage, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram. Moister herbs, such as the delicate members of the mint family, all the various basils, and tarragon, are more susceptible to mold unless they are dried very quickly. Herbs like chives and dill retain more flavor if they are gently frozen. MSU Extension's online edition of Harvesting and Drying Herbs recommends cutting herbs for drying just before they flower, when they contain the most aromatic oils. Start with healthy, carefully washed stems, tie them together in small bundles, and place in an open brown paper bag in
a dark warm place (70 to 80 degrees F). Allow 2-4 weeks depending on local temperature and moisture. Drying trays and food dehydrators are handy for processing quantities of herbs, but avoid the microwave -- it cooks them, destroying the volatile oils that hold the flavor and aroma. If you see any mold, discard the entire batch for safety's sake. When your herbs are dried, store them in a cool, dry place away from the light. Label and date. For optimal flavor, add crushed or crumbled leaves to cooked dishes in the last half-hour of cooking. You can download and print a six-page version of Harvesting and Drying Herbs in attractive PDF format. In addition to drying and freezing, you'll find other ideas and
recipes for preserving herbs. Try tarragon vinegar, herb butter, homemade mustard, or basil-flavored oil.
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