How to Dry Herbs and Flowers at Home

Drying fresh herbs and flowers is a simple process that anyone can do at home. It will guarantee a well-nourished natural pharmacy throughout the year. To dry herbs, it is important that you consider what part of the plant you will use in your remedies and proceed to dry them in the manner indicated below. Overall, to dry the stems, leaves and tender flowers, we can use the hang-up technique:

1. Cut the herbs using a trimmer and place them horizontally in a basket

2. Remove the weeds and damaged leaves.

3. Tie the herbs in bunches around the base.

4. Hang them upside down and let them dry.

Although these steps are generic to dry most fresh herbs, we will specify the requirements that you must follow for each part of the medicinal herb you want to dry.

To dry tender stem, it is essential to have a ventilated space with circulating hot air. In a place with these features, herbs such as sage or rosemary -tender stem herbs- release excess water and dry naturally, maintaining their properties.

You can opt for a balcony or terrace of your home as well as a pantry or attic where air can flow; you can hang them in the windows.

In order to dry leaves and flowers, like chamomile or lavender, you must ensure an even process. The herbs should be placed on grids or gauze on shelves where they can stay all day and where you can move them around. Flowers usually take between 3 and 8 days to dry, while leaves need between 4 and 6.

Logically, these times vary depending on the time of year (in summer the time tends to be reduced, because of temperature) and the conditions of the drying room such as humidity or ventilation.

If you want to dry herbs' roots at home, be careful to remove and clean the roots prior to drying. To do this, wet the roots with water and dry them with a clean cloth. You should never dry them without having completely cleaned the soil from them: Otherwise, you won't be able to use them when dry.

Thus, it is common to dry the roots to use them later to maximize their health benefits.

Sometimes the therapeutic benefits you need are only present in fresh herbs. In such cases, it is preferable that you harvest them in small quantities, as fresh herbs wilt and lose their properties. Thus, you need to use them soon after cutting them.

To keep them in good condition for a little longer, you can store them in the fridge.

Protect your plants from light and moisture and avoid wrapping them in plastic. Check on them frequently. These are some of the factors to consider for the correct storage and conservation of herbs at home.

Also, note that after long periods of time they may lose some or all of its medicinal and curative power, so you should consume them before that happens. This is how to dry herbs and flowers at home - if you have any tips, tell us in the comments section.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

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