A Guide to Sorting, Drying and Using Your Own Herbs

Store bought herbs can cost a small fortune, especially when you have half a dozen varieties of herbs on your shopping list that you need to buy. Sorting, drying and using your own herbs that you have grown or picked wild can save you money.

Picking Wild Herbs

If herbs grow wild where you live, you can save a lot of money by foraging and picking your own wild herbs. But it is important to know your herbs well so that you do not pick anything that could be potentially harmful to you or your family. Familiarise yourself with the herbs that grow wild in your area and pick them when they are in season.

Drying Herbs

After you have picked a bunch of herbs, you can either use them straightaway by sorting them and adding them to meals you are going to prepare, or dry them out for future use. If you plan to dry the herbs for future use, make sure you wash them thoroughly to get rid of any insects or dirt that is on the leaves or stalks.

Lay the herbs out flat to dry on kitchen paper or tea towels. Once they have dried off, wrap them with string or an elastic band and hang them outside on the clothesline to dry or place them in the windowsill to dry out in the sun.

Sorting Herbs for Use

Once the herbs have dried, you will be able to sort and store them for use in the kitchen. Carefully remove the string or cut off the elastic band so that you do not lose any of the herbs in the process, and then lay them out flat on a chopping board or a large, clean work surface.

Manually remove any debris or dead leaves and then pick off the herbs, leaf by leaf, rubbing them vigorously between your hands to grind them into a fine powder that can then be sprinkled over food. Discard any large, woody fragments that will not grind down. Add the freshly ground herbs into an empty container and label it so you will know what you are using.

It takes time to pick, dry and sort your own herbs, but it is well worth the extra effort you put in. Not only will you save money at the supermarket, but you will also have a steady supply of herbs on hand to use when the time comes.