7 Easy Tips For Drying Herbs & Flowers

The Prairie Nurse 

 

                             Drying Herbs (The Prairie Nurse Photo Copyright)

 

7 Easy Tips For Drying Herbs & Flowers

#1 When is a good time to harvest plants? 

The first step to dry herbs & flowers it really depends on many different situations in your terrain and location. However, the recommended time would be in the mornings. Many reasons why such as less heat, and of course the bugs are not as active. Another reason for the mornings is the plants are at their peak with sunlight. I prefer to complete this before before 10am if possible. Of course, you do what’s best and most convenient for you. The goal is to just get the plants harvested so you can use them for your meals seasonings, essential oils or other types of herbal medicine.  

#2 Cleaning time! 

Make sure no pesticides were used on your plants, or were picked close to roads. If you don’t want to clean your own plant, just make sure you wash the roots if you plan on dry that par of the plant. You can use vinegar with water soaking the plant in the bowl. Or you can just soak with water and rinse. The great part of vinegar is its supposed to remove any parasites or worms that are hanging out inside the plant living off the organism.  If you don’t have vinegar another option is salt as well a few dashes with water. 

#3 Dry Time!

Interestingly to dry plants always do it in the shade. This means shade in the outdoors. Now, if for some reason you are concerned with bugs. Which for me summer time bugs are everywhere. So, you can definitely dry them indoors in a dark place. 

#4 Is it Ready! 

It’s time to see if they are ready! Are the plants dry and are they look like they are falling apart easier, so brittle. Some of plants can vary on dry time periods. This of course will depend on the temperature and the moisture in the air. Places like the desert area such as Phoenix, Arizona it will dry sooner. For Instance, living  in Alabama the humidity is a lot higher so it will take much, much longer. When I went camping in a high humid location my clothes would never dry, like 3 days and still damp. I have no idea how the Southern folk dried their heavy thick dress during the old days. The oven is another option on very low temperatures if you don’t have a lot of time. 

#5 Where to Store? 

The light is the enemy of dried herbs and or plants. Make sure you keep the dry herbs away from any light. I love to store my dry herbs in glass jars. This way I can see the dry plant and it just looks cleaner and I can recycle the jar for the next herb. Other options are paper or cardboard boxes. These two are not my favorite ways to store it. But these are other ideas. I worry about bugs, rodents, and or spiders etc. Jars are the perfect protected storage item. 

The best way to buy jars is not during the summer months or early spring or early fall. Winter is the greatest time to get your jars. If you wait for the high season months there may not any jars to be had. Especially, if there is a spook in the news causing a concern for prepping and or survival. During the years of 2020 and 2021 months and months went buy where all the jars were out of stocks or can only buy one at time. Last but, not least you can go old school with just hanging up the plants to dry, in a well ventilated location. If you have a stove or fire place this is one of the best locations. 

#6 Label, Label, Name Call It 

This is so important to label your product. Even if you think you will remember later, you shouldn’t. If you want to share it or even one of your family members go look for the herb they may not know. The dates with the name of the plant is ideal. You can easily determine what your are low on and or realize the next growing season the type you need to plant more or less of for harvesting. 

#7 Bye Bye Plant 

It’s unfortunately time to look over and inspect your saved dried herbs. Before the next harvest make sure you discard the expired plants. You can use them for mulch and or just throw them in the yard and back to mother nature. 

Places to buy jars for drying plants and storing. 

Of course you can get jars almost anywhere. Here’s a link for Hobby Lobby for jars. This is where I do a lot of shopping and Ace Hardware. I live in a low populated area so, not much options. I prefer to buy instead of shipping due to breakage. However, these are great stores and the jars are very diverse from sizes to colors. 

(I do not have any affiliates with these companies at this time.)

https://www.hobbylobby.com/search?query=jars&pageType=products

Depending on where you look the storage of herbs can vary anywhere from 6 months to a few years. I added a link if you would like to read more of storage time lines. This of course depends on how well the plant was dried before storing it and location of storage. If you have more light with humidity of course this will reduce the freshness of the plant. 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/do-spices-expire#shelf-life

The Prairie Nurse Herbalist, Holistic and Homesteader