It is that time of year to dry and store from the herb garden. We raise a variety of herbs for this reason. Basil is one of our favorite and most often used herb. Here is a general rule of thumb for drying herbs; if they have a soft stem don’t hang them to dry. The soft stemmed herbs like parsley, lemon balm and basil need to be dried in a food dehydrator or dried in a paper grocery bag. If you choose the dehydrator option then just take your time on a low heat setting like 95 degrees. If you don’t have a dehydrator then a paper bag will do. Stem the leaves and place in a brown paper bag. Seal off the top but leave a couple of small air holes in the bag for moisture to escape.
The hard stemmed herbs like rosemary, oregano, bay, sage, and mint will dry very well hanging. You can also use a dehydrator for these herbs.
Once the herbs are dry they should be stored in an air tight container for long term storage and kept out of direct light and preferably in a cool place. We keep a smaller container in the kitchen cupboard for everyday use.
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The Winter Gardening Guide