When I was a child, I remember my gramma drying herbs like parsley and dill. She always combined them once they were dried, placed them in a jar and then stored it in the cupboard. She used it to season soups, stews, roast beef and anything else she cooked. I always loved the way gramma’s house smelled with the herbs cooking in her delicious meals.
She dried the herbs the old fashioned way — on the counter — and that’s how I dry them too! It is super simple although it does take a little time. Once they are dried though, the herbs can be crumbled or left whole and added into a jar (I always use glass), place the lid on and set in the cupboard, out of direct light. I also chop up fresh parsley and dill, put in a jar and then place in the freezer. I add parsley and dill to soups, dressings and dips, salads, savory breads, chicken dishes and even roast beef which is just like adding fresh herbs from the garden! Sage I add mainly to chicken dishes or pork. The dried sage I crumble into ground pork and the frozen sage I add to chicken, especially if I am roasting chicken or turkey in the oven, and then remove it at the end. Any which way you use the herbs – either dried or fresh – it tastes just like it was picked from the garden!
Let’s get started!
SAGE
Once the sage is picked, I rinse it off and set it on a cloth to dry. I flip it and be sure the sage is thoroughly dry. I then place what I want into a jar and place it in the freezer.
To dry the sage, I leave it on the cloth, and flip the sage every 2 days. Once completely dried, in about 2 weeks, I place it in a jar with a lid and store it in my spice cupboard.
PARSLEY
Once the parsley is picked, I rinse it well under cold water. Parsley holds onto a lot of dirt, so I rinse it several times. I usually use a salad spinner to dry the parsley.
I then chop up the parsley, put in a jar and place in the freezer.
To dry the parsley, lay it on a tea towel and let it sit on a counter. Placing a cooling rack under will help air flow and to dry quicker. Fluff it around and flip every 2 days so all parsley can dry thoroughly. It takes about 2 weeks to dry. Once dry, crumble into a jar, place lid on and store in dark dry place.
DILL
Once dill is picked, I rinse under warm water to remove any dirt and bugs. Let drain in a colander.
Chop and place in a jar and place in freezer.
To dry, lay dill out flat on a tea towel to absorb any excess water. Once the dill starts to dry, flip it every 2 to 3 days until it’s completely dried. It will take about 2 weeks. The dill will be quite fragile or crumbly once dried. Crumble into a jar and discard stems. Store dry, dark place like a cupboard or pantry.
Look at these beautiful dried herbs! And they have a lovely scent to them, just like when they are fresh (maybe even a little stronger!). I use dried herbs the most and in a variety of ways. I love the flavor it adds! And the best part is I know how it has been prepared and dried, no chemicals were used and my herbs contain no preservatives or fillers. They are the actual herb, much like the pioneers would have used, and definitely what my gramma used in her kitchen.
We had an abundant amount of parsley and dill this summer so freezing and drying was a great way for these herbs to not go to waste! Dill and parsley are my favorite herbs, so I always make sure I have enough on hand to last all winter long.
We did not have many sage plants growing, but they produced really well! Drying and freezing is a great way to preserve these wonderful herbs to use during the long cold, snowy months.
Storing Herbs for the Winter
Rinse herbs like dill, parsley and sage thoroughly. Pat dry or use salad spinner to dry. Chop up herbs, add to a glass jar with a lid and place in freezer. For dried herbs, set herbs in a single layer on a tea towel. Mix or flip every 2 days. Continue doing so until herbs are dry and crumble when pinched with finger tips. This takes about 12 to 15 days to dry in this manner. Once dry, crumble, remove stems and place in a jar with a lid and place in a dry, dark place like a cupboard or pantry. For herbs you would like to stay whole, like sage, do not crumble and store the same way as the other herbs.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours