Making Teas From and Drying Your Fresh-Picked Herbs

Picking herbs in your backyard is wonderful, but what do you do with those herbs once you get them home?

Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is the easiest way to preserve their medicinal value for months or even years. Dried herbs should be put in air-tight, dark containers as light and air can degrade their quality. Also remember to label your herbs because after drying they can be more difficult to identify.

Air-Drying Herbs

Air-drying herbs is both simple and easy to do. For long-stemmed herbs, tie into small bunches of about 5-6 stems per bunch and hang upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. To dry seeds, place a paper bag over the inverted herbs and while the herbs dry the seeds will fall into the bag. Flowers and leaves may be dried independently by placing them in a thin layer inside a basket to allow for good airflow.

Herbs can take from a few days to weeks to dry depending on the size and density of the herb. For heavy roots, drying can take more than a year.

Oven-Drying Herbs

While air-drying is the most traditional, it’s also the most time-consuming way to dry herbs. To speed the process, herbs can be placed in a thin layer on a sheet pan and dried in an oven on its lowest temperature setting. Herbs should be checked frequently to ensure they are only dried and don’t begin to cook or burn.

Herbs are ready when they crumble when rubbed between your fingers.

Teas

Teas are the easiest way to use herbs as they can be made from fresh or dry herbs. For dried herbs it’s as simple as putting one tablespoon of dried herbs into one cup of boiling water. Let this simmer for 5 – 15 minutes and you’re ready to drink. If you’re using fresh herbs you will need to use at least twice the amount and likely the final tea will still be weaker. For a strong tea with fresh herbs use 2/3 a cup of herbs to one cup of water.

Unless stems are needed for medicinal value, stems can be removed before making tea for a less-bitter final product. Tea can be sweetened with honey and drunk hot or cold. Cooled tea can be applied directly to skin for topical uses and keeps in the fridge for up to five days.

Three cups of tea per day is a general guide but see your local herbalist for specific amounts for you.

Remember, herbs are medications so see a health practitioner before beginning any treatment.