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Dehydrating Herbs
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5 from 171 votes

Drying Herbs

Drying herbs at home is a simple way to preserve herb leaves, roots, and flowers for medicinal or culinary uses.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Author: Ashley Adamant

Ingredients

  • 8 oz fresh herbs

Instructions

  • Cut away any portions of the plant which are discolored or damaged.
  • Rinse the herbs in cool water and shake dry. 
  • Prepare herbs for dehydrating: Leaves can be dried on the stem for ease; flower petals can be removed from the head after washing; roots can be chopped, grated, or ground.
  • Arrange herbs on dehydrator trays in a single layer. If the tops of your herbs touch the trays above, you can remove them.
  • (Dehydrator) Set your dehydrator to a temperature between 95°F to 105°F and dehydrate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove herbs immediately when dry. Herbs are done when they are crisp and crumble easily.
  • (Oven) Set your oven as low as it will allow (ideally below 140°F) and prop the door open to allow heat and moisture to escape. Dehydrate herbs for 3 to 4 hours until they are dry and crumbly.

Notes

Notes

Allow herbs to cool completely before moving to an airtight container for storage. 

Yield

You can expect 8 ounces of fresh herbs to yield 1 ounce dried, give or take.

Storage

Herbs are best stored as whole leaves and crushed right before use. 
Store herbs out of direct sunlight as this will degrade their quality, and move to a cool, dark, and dry location. Keep them away from moisture and heat (this includes sinks, dishwashers, and even ovens).
Herbs will keep at peak quality for 6 months to a year.