How to dry herbs

Catch the latest guidance at mindbodygreen:

Image from the Herbal Remedy Handbook (C) Kyle Books/Sarah Cuttle.

3 ways to dry herbs and 1 way to not dry herbs…

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-dry-herbs

To add to the above article, here are some tips for drying equipment:

Dehydrators:

• The best dehydrators in the UK are excalibur brand (non-affiliated), but they come at a price (£200-£2,000), however, it will be a lifetime investment as they are high quality.

• You can buy small kitchen-style dehydrators for around £50-100 and they do very well for smaller amounts, but will ultimately have a shorter life span than an excalibur.

• Top tip: try to get one with a timer.

• Scandinavian foragers have recommended the Orakas for heavy professional use.

• See the mindbodygreen article above for our advice on using an oven as a dehydrator.

Air drying equipment:

• The image above shows the Nether Wallop herb dryer, which is small but can be taken apart and stored easily.

• We mainly use the ‘collapsible net herb dryers’, (image below) which can be found via online auction sites and hydroponic shops.

• More often than not, we just spread herbs out on a tea towel on a table for a couple of days. Not so fancy, but effective.

• Top tip: The most important thing is to keep your herbs out of direct sunlight.

Happy drying!

Want more tips on herb processing and uses? Visit our guidance pages.

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