Winter is on our doorstep here in South Africa and although most perennial herbs will go through Winter, their growth slows down, which means that you may not have enough of the fresh stuff to meet both your culinary and medicinal needs. This is particularly true of herbs like, Thyme, Sage and Peppermint that are particularly good for relieving coughs, colds and sore throats.
There are other herbs like Oregano and Bay that are better when dried. Bay leaf is much more palatable and less bitter in the dried form. The stronger and sharper flavour derived from drying Oregano is well-suited to Italian dishes, marinades and roasts.
Sweet Basil and the various Mints are also coming to the end of their season and they need to be preserved if you want to keep the taste of Summer going through Winter. Because they lose most of their flavour when dried, it is better to chop the leaves, put them in ice trays with water and freeze. The ice cubes are then stored in a plastic bag and used when cooking.
DRYING HERBS
Drying your own herbs is very easy and there is simply no comparison between home-dried herbs and those bought from a supermarket.
You will need a sharp pair of pruning shears, a sharp knife or a sharp pair of small scissors and a basket or similar container to carry your harvest in.
DRYING METHODS
The main aim of the drying process is to remove the moisture as quickly as possible, while losing as little colour, taste and aroma as possible.
Air drying is the most satisfactory method and a dark, dry place is best for this. Drying the herbs in sunlight will cause the colour, taste and aroma to face.
The herbs can be formed into small bunches, tied with a piece of string and hung up in a cool place. Alternately you can use a table or other flat surface and lay them out on an oven rack, a looking rock or something similar to dry.
Drying times can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the drying method and moisture content of the herbs at the time of harvesting. the easiest way to check whether the herbs are dried, is to rub them between your fingers. If the herbs crumble and break, they are dry enough.
Microwave drying is not suited to large quantities and aroma and taste of herbs dried in this manner is not as good as those that are air dried. Most herbs should dry within 2 to 3 minutes in a microwave. Test your herbs every 30 seconds.
Oven drying is also a popular method, but once again the quality is not as good as air drying. the exception to this is cut roots, which dry very well in the oven
STORING DRIED HERBS
As soon as the herbs are dry, store them in air tight containers in a cool, dark spot. rub the leaves off the ranches, but try not to crumble them unnecessarily. It is better to crumble the herbs just before you use them
Remember to label the container with the name of the herb and the date they were dried.
WHEN TO HARVEST
Herbs for drying or other processing should be harvested early in the morning, once the dew has evaporated.
Never harvest more than you can process quickly. Try to avoid harvesting many different herbs in one basket. Discard any leaves that are diseased or yellowing.
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