arbed
enthusiast
Reged: 01/29/04
Posts: 285
Loc: Baltimore, Maryland
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Hi Everyone,
Need some help in drying some fresh herbs and thought I would surely get the right answer here. I live In MD and we've had some pretty chilly temps lately. I still have a large pot of mostly parsley and some basil and I think a few others. Herbs don't seem to do very well for me indoors and rather than add them to the composte pile, thought someone here could give me the best way to maybe dry them, any suggestion.......
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morrisdancer
"Lunatic"
Reged: 10/27/05
Posts: 7617
Loc: Michigan
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I asked Darlene (Bozodog) how she dried her chives and this is what she told me:
Quote:
Liz, I preserve them two different ways... One is in the oven, heated to 200 and then turned off before putting the chopped chives on a cookie sheet in. This needs to be done several times to get them dry. They are then bagged and stored in the freezer. The other way is chopped up on a cookie sheet into the deep freeze for a few days. (kinda freeze dried) Then into freezer bags for winter use. These turn out more like fresh.
I'm betting as soon as she sees this, she will toss some tips about the other herbs. I remember *something* about putting parsley and water in ice cube trays and freezing them, then popping the "parsley cubes" in a bag....why do I remember such odd things? I don't grow parsley!! 
Liz
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Thanks, Chris and Ernie!
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arbed
enthusiast
Reged: 01/29/04
Posts: 285
Loc: Baltimore, Maryland
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thanks, i just love talking to people here, everyone has such great advice.....i hope to hear more suggestions
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bozodog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/19/07
Posts: 9938
Loc: SW Michigan
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Not much more to say... I just dried a cookie sheet full of parsley about 3" thick. Two days on a kitchen shelf bringing the moisture content down a bit, then into a turned off 200 degree oven over night. Nice, bright green and fragrant. Some will go into a recycled Parmigiana cheese shaker, the rest into the freezer to stay fresh. I assume basil would be the same. Be sure to clean the unwanted stems out before drying. It's much harder once dried.
Chives, I like the freeze dried method. They retain a bit of moisture, so are more flavorful when used. These I keep in one of those semi-disposable freezer tubs in the freezer. Just pop the lid and grab a pinch when needed.
Mmmmm, baked taters, with chives, parsley and a little Parma.. 
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Governments don’t bear the cost of anything; their citizens do.
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