How to dry herbs so they still smell good six months later

Well-dried mint smells almost the same in January as it did in July. Badly dried mint smells of hay or, worse, of mold. The difference comes down to a few simple things.

Before drying

I don't wash herbs from my own garden: extra moisture only gets in the way. If the harvest is dusty, rinse it in cool water and dry it well on a towel. Then sort through it: remove yellowed and damaged leaves, debris and insects.

Three methods

In bunches

Small bunches tied at the base are hung flowers-down in the shade — in an attic, under a shelter, on a porch. Air movement is what matters most. Keep the bunches thin: inside a thick bunch herbs dry unevenly and can rot. This works well for mint, oregano, thyme, wormwood — anything with a long stem.

In a thin layer

Leaves and flowers are spread in a single layer on paper, cloth or a mesh screen and turned once a day. A screen is better because air reaches them from below too. This is how I dry chamomile, calendula, linden blossom, and blackcurrant and raspberry leaves.

In a dehydrator

A dehydrator saves the day in a rainy summer. For aromatic herbs, keep the temperature at 35–40 °C (95–104 °F): at higher heat the essential oils evaporate, and the herbs come out dry but scentless. The oven is a last resort: lowest setting, door ajar.

What to avoid

• Direct sun. Herbs fade quickly, losing both color and aroma.
• Damp rooms. In a bathroom or cellar herbs don't dry, they stew.
• The kitchen. Steam and cooking smells soak into the drying leaves.

How to tell they're done

Leaves crumble between your fingers, and stems snap rather than bend. In dry weather this takes three days to a week; in damp weather, longer. If a stem still bends, give it another day: under-dried herbs will mold in the jar.

Don't leave finished herbs hanging "until autumn": in the open air they pick up moisture and dust again. How to store them — I explain here.