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Drying, Storing, and Using Them Without Losing Aroma

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Drying, Storing, and Using Them Without Losing Aroma

Drying, Storing, and Using Them Without Losing Aroma

AhmadJunaidFoodJanuary 13, 2026364 Views

There’s a special kind of joy in snipping your own herbs five minutes before dinner – the smell on your fingers, the instant upgrade, the tiny thrill of “I grew this.” In this post, we’ll look at how to make that last by drying and storing your herbs properly, so you’ve always got a little summer on hand.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Making Your Herbs Last

If you’ve been a longtime LinsFood follower, you’ll know all about my culinary garden where we grow fruit and vegetables from all over the world. I am especially fond of the ones that you cannot find easily in shops and supermarkets.

Like Mexican tomatillos, Peruvian Huacatay and Southeast Asian herbs.

There’s something singularly satisfying about brushing your hand against a rosemary bush or a sprig of mint and having that perfume cling to your skin. Anyone who grows their own herbs knows the heartbreak of watching a lush summer patch start to bolt, sulk, or fade as the seasons turn. And yes, we try to bottle that magic by drying them… only to end up with a jar of sad, dusty flakes that taste like dried lawn.

Not on my watch. We’re going to preserve herbs properly – drying and storing them in a way that actually keeps the flavour. The trick is protecting those volatile oils: the tiny compounds that make basil taste bright and peppery, and lavender smell (and taste) so beautifully sweet.

Get that right and you’ll save money, waste less, and have peak-herb flavour on tap long after the garden’s packed it in for winter.

peruvian black mint image, huacatay in gold cvase — Huacatay, Peruvian black

Timing Your Harvest for Maximum Potency

The secret to properly good dried herbs starts before you even think about dehydrating anything – it starts at around 10 in the morning, the sweet spot. By then, the dew’s had a chance to evaporate (less chance of mould), but the sun hasn’t been hammering the plant long enough to dull the flavour by driving off those precious oils.

And pick before the flowers properly get going. Once buds show, the plant starts putting its energy into reproduction, and the leaves can turn bitter, tougher, or a bit woody – not exactly what you want in your cooking.

Studies on plant secondary metabolites indicate these aromatic compounds are most concentrated just prior to the blooming stage of a plant. Snip the stems clean, and never take more than a third of the plant at once if you want it to continue producing.

The Low and Slow Approach to Drying

Heat is the enemy of aroma. The quicker you dry the herbs, the more heat they’ll release, which means the scent they hold will become nothing more than a memory. It is generally a case of air flow over heat for most herbs. Here’s how you can dehydrate them:

Hanging Bunches: Designed for hard herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano. Package in small loose bunches and hang upside down in a well-ventilated area out of direct light.
Flat Drying: Soft herbs such as basil and mint have a high water content and may develop mold if packed into bunches. They should be dried flat on a mesh screen to expose the herb to air from all directions.

It is, in fact, interesting to observe how the technology used to enjoy these botanicals has kept up with our growing knowledge of the use of temperature. But for those who enjoy herbs in a dish such as a stew, not to mention those who relish the aromatics in a more concentrated state, the use of temperature is paramount.

This is, of course, a principle well-understood in the world of high-end vaporizer technology, as a number of vaporizer reviews can attest. Aficionados use the technology to heat botanicals just enough for the release of the flavors, without scorching the tender leaves.

ingredients — so many herbs to enjoy beyond summer

The Crumble Test and Proper Storage

But how will you know when they are ready? The Crumble Test will tell you. If the leaf bends or is leathery to the touch, it has moisture. If it breaks like glass when pinched between your fingers, it is ready.

After drying them, resist the tendency to crush them immediately. It’s actually beneficial to retain the leaves whole so that the oils within don’t get destroyed. Crush them only when you are ready to put them in the pot.

For storage, do not use plastic. Glass containers sealed airtight are best. Keep them in a cool, dark cabinet, instead of a spice rack in a warm spot above a stove. These two factors, heat and light, are what will cause your beautiful green oregano to turn a dull brown in a matter of weeks. These are primary catalysts for oxidative degradation.

Using Your Stash Without Losing the Punch

Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs, so a 1:3 ratio is the rule for how many of each to use, which means one teaspoon of dried for every three teaspoons of fresh. But how you use them in your kitchen is important.

As the oils are now trapped in the dried form, they require either fat or heat to bloom. If you are preparing a dressing, mix the dried herbs with the oil and let it rest for ten minutes before incorporating the acid. When preparing a braising ragu, add the dried herbs to the pot at the start to allow them time to rehydrate and flavor the base.

Bringing the Garden to Your Kitchen

There’s something lovely about seasoning a meal with herbs you’ve raised from a tiny seedling – it turns an ordinary dinner into a little story of the seasons. With a bit of respect for the drying process and a dash of kitchen science, you can keep the bright, garden-fresh flavour going long after summer’s made its exit.

Do you dry your herbs into blends, or keep them separate and mix as you go? Tell me what you do (and what you swear by).

Lin xx

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