With the summer at an end and fall officially here, we are packing up a lot of our gardens and exchanging much of our produce with winter squashes and tubers, instead.
Unless you live in a warm climate, we are also losing our outdoor herb gardens, and indoor herb gardening isn’t always doable if
sunshine streaming through the windows is at a minimum.
This is the perfect time to harvest fresh herbs.
Dried herbs, especially done yourself, have a lasting, potent flavor. Though not as aromatic as fresh, they are excellent in cozy, comfort-based foods, such as soups, chilis, and stews.
In any recipe, dried herbs can be substituted for fresh herbs at a general ratio of 1 to 3.
To dry herbs in your own home, it only takes a few easy steps.
Give Them a Wash
You’ll want to wash the herbs first. To do this without destroying them, keep them in large bunches, then rinse them thoroughly with water. Lay them out on paper towels and allow them to dry at room temperature. If you are a little tighter on time, dry them in an herb spinner.
Hang ‘Em To Dry
Once they are free from excess moisture, you’re going to hand the herbs to dry. Tie the stems of the herbs into small bouquets with butchers’ twine. Then, hang them by the windowsill, letting them dry from the sun, for about a week, until they are very crisp and dry. They should crumble easily in your hand.
Pick and Store
When they are at the crumbly stage, pick the leaves off from the stems and crumble them into jars. Tightly seal, and store until ready to use.
Everyday Herb Mix
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried chives
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mix together all ingredients and store in an airtight container.