Tied sage leaves and herbs on a wooden background

The easiest way to air dry herbs straight from the garden is in paper bags, you’ll need one bag for each variety. For the best results choose varieties that don’t have a high water content such as Thyme, Bay, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary and Dill.

You’ll want to harvest your herbs before they flower and when they are dry. Cut each piece carefully from the plant with enough stalk for tying into a bunch, make sure you remove any yellow manky pieces and shake off insects.

air drying herbs

Tie each bundle of herbs together with string, punch several holes in each bag for air flow and place the herbs in upside down, tie each bag closed with more string. Hang in a warm airy room or airing cupboard to dry for around two weeks.

When dry remove the usable pieces from the stalk and store in a glass jar labeled with the date, they are best used within a year. Don’t chop or crush the herbs until you’re ready to use them, that way they’ll retain their flavour for longer. As a rule, one teaspoon dried equals one tablespoon of fresh herbs.

For more fantastic tips on drying herbs and using herbs and spices at home read this informative article.

To find out how to make a natural herbal shampoo using fresh herbs click here.