Hi all, I am so totally new to all this, heck, we hardly cook at all! but i think we'd like to in the future and as I'm learning to grow this and that I thought herbs would be fun, too. Herb growing is really a whole new world, I plan to get to the library and get a few books to read up on it all but until then.......I have some herbs that are about ready to be dried if I was inclined and I think my kitchen could use an herb drying rack :o) Was hoping some of you would post pics of yours that you've made and maybe let us know what's good about it or what you would have done differently?
Thanks!
lynn
herb drying racks?
Just an old window screen will work.Don't put them in sunlight,or in air conditioned room.
So the kitchen won't work, to the laundry room they go. Dust is a huge problem here, what about taking one of those mesh, zip laundry baskets (the kind that popup)and hanging that with bunches of herbs hanging inside? It sounds doable to me but I'm just fumbling along here.
That would work.You could hang them out in your garage if it was warm & dry.
I know you live with a/c... would that help dry them indoors?
My first thought was a folding wooded clothes drying rack. It could be used to hang clumps of herbs... Not anything I have experience with tho, sorry.
Garage wouldn't work, too cold in winter, too hot in summer, toooo dusty :(
I thought it was supposed to be a warm room? We generally have the a/c vent closed in the laundry room so it's the most consistent room in the house. I think a clothes drying rack would be great but I'd still have to cover it :(
The hamper/basket I'm thinking of is round, so if I hung it in the air it would take little space. I'm going to keep an eye out for one on sale, try this out.
Thanks so much for you replies!
Azreno ~ please keep us posted on what you try. We can all learn from it. The mesh bag sounds like an excellent idea. I think I've seen them at local dollar stores.
What kinds of herbs are you going to be drying?
I bet you have seen it! Porbably on the butterfly forum :o) as a caterlpillar house.
I have some dill and parsley for the moment. What part of fennel is used, just the seed?
Dry some of the dill, and let some of it go to seed; that way you'll have both the weed and the seed. And watch out if you let it go to seed and you're particular -- IT RESEEDS like crazy! I like that in dill; when I mow it down it smells SO good.
Cheesecloth is another meshed fabric that can be used.
lol Yes it will smell good! I love doing things near the chocolate mint, yummy. And lemon verbena, and pineapple sage, and I know there are others.
I picked up a mesh thingy for $5, I'll hang it later this week, wish me luck!
Where'd you find it? Good luck, please keep us posted.
Walmart, it's one that has an open top, so I figure that'll be the bottom :)
I do dry herbs on a wooden folding clothes rack. Hang them upside down in small bunches. Some herbs, like lemon verbena, I take the leaves off the stem and dry them in hanging nylon mesh "hammocks". I have also dried herbs on screens. In a dry climate it doesn't take long.
I love lemon verbena in the yard, but what are you using the dried leaves for?
I know your climate is even drier than mine. I mainly dry my herbs by laying them in a mesh colander on the kitchen counter. They dry in just a day or so, therefore I don't feel the need to make any special kind of rack. I have used my cookie rack, you know one of those you put cookies on to cool? When I have a large number of herbs to dry. But I like fresh ones best and only dry them in November to use until they are back in April. Believe me, drying and avoiding mold is not problem here or in AZ! LOL!
Oh, but I do think I would prefer a place to hand them, am trying to clear out visual clutter on counters and drying herbs definitely qualifies as clutter. Nice to know I won't have to worry about mold! Didn't even realize that was an issue lol My books fromt he library still sit there untouched, been too busy :(
I have lots of counter space, but often I just pop them in the colander and sit it on the frig over night. They dry so quickly that you don't have to leave them out too long. I have also used clothes pins and clipped little bundles onto a hanger and just hang up in the laundry room to dry. But they take longer clipped together and I like them to dry quickly and get put into jars. I have a friend who keeps ristras (the original drying racks!) of peppers and garlic as decoration in her kitchen. She just sticks the herbs into the braid of those and they dry in a day or two.
If you find that you really like those dried herbs,you might want to invest in a dehydrator like mine.I got an Excalibur 9 tray with adjustable thermostat.Works good,& doesn't scorch leafy herbs like the cheap ones do.
I have a dehydrator but don't use it as our dry air works just as quickly. But I have used the trays to lay herbs on, so thanks for reminding me! azreno, I have seen those trays and dehydrators in the Goodwill type stores. Maybe a couple of the trays might be good for your use?
I can't imagine we'll ever need one of those. Not sure what we'll do with the herbs we have lol I guess I need to get some bottles first off. But then they may end up sitting in those bottles forever.
I do cook a lot with herbs. I love greek oregano and lemon basil in my pizza sauce. It is amazing and really easy. So much better than and faster than ordering a pizza too! Once you start adding them you will know why you just have to have fresh herbs. Although I got some Lemon balm and just love it as a plant, have yet to make tea with it. Herbs are very nice ground covers and like our warm and dry climate.
Yeah, it's that cooking thing I have an issue with lol I know the day will come when that becomes a big part of our lives, right now there's just so many other things to focus on. I want to be prepared for that "someday", be prepared I guess. Hopefully having the herbs around will inspire us to start cooking now,....I dunno, we'll see. It's hard when you stink at it already you know?
I have always cooked, I think if you eat you need to cook. I have never lived where there were many places to eat out and when I do I always think "we paid way too much and it never tastes as good as I could make it" Cooking is really easy and takes so little time compared to eating out. Plus it is so easy now with microwaves and dishwashers, two things we didn't have when I started out. I also like that I can eliminate things like pepper which will give me asthma attacks and add more sauce or cheese whatever. Start with planning a meal on your day off and I bet you will be hooked! ; )
Oh, trust me, I've tried that. I think you're missing something though. Cooking doesn't come naturally to everyone. And not everyone likes cooking. I'm neither good at it nor do I enjoy it.
Sorry 'bout that! I love eating to much to not want to cook I guess. I love watching food network too.
Azreno, you need to live with someone who likes to cook! l.o.l. Cooking is often just a matter of putting together some ingredients and dumping them on to a plate. Herbs are good in salad...you could even buy those bags of pre-cut salad greens and doctor them up. What will you do with the herbs you dry other than cooking? Potpourri?
Yeah, food has never been a huge priority for us. But like I said, later when we have time I know it will be.
Roy, I'm married to someone who loves food AND loves to cook, he's just terrible at it! He thinks everything in excess is good and that rarely works out to be edible. I may be sharing my herbs with friends until we have time to cook, but I'll be ready darn it! I'm really just having a blast growing everything and seeing what I can grow and where I can grow it. Gardening here is such a challenge, but it would be great to know where herbs are going to do well in my yard over the long term.
Yeah, more is not necessarily better. LOL! Here is my favorite recipe that is not really cooking ; ). You can buy a premade pizza crust although I do make mine. I have a dough hook so it kneads while I whirr the blender. Add fresh (about 2 leaves each) or dried (one tsp each) of oregano and basil in blender with a can of stewed tomatoes and a can of tomato paste. Start with less herb and add more when you find what YOU like. Layer with your favorite pizza toppings and cheeses. Bake in a 400' oven for 12-15 minutes. We don't like that commercial pizzas don't have enough sauce, so this makes enough for 4 pizzas. I make my own dough fresh each time, but freeze the sauce. It is how I freeze my herbs for winter.
Thanks for the tips CP! You know what I am loving on pizzas these days? Fresh chopped tomatoes, in addition to the sauce of course :) yummy.
Azreno ~ I am not a great cook either although I despise eating out. I think the reason I don't like cooking as it is day in, day out, what's for dinner and how soon! On a day off, I will cook a pot of soup or stew or a roast or.... That creativity I have learned to enjoy.
Anyway, I love my herbs and find I rub, pinch and sniff them far more than eat or use them. They are for more senses to enjoy than just the taste buds... LOL
Yep, that's another reason I'm growing them! I've been growing lemon verbena for years.......I can't walk near it without having to pull a leaf off then I walk around the yard sniffing it. Love plants that have a pleasant scent, and even somethat don't- I have a pipevine whose leaves have a strange odor, somewhat earthy though, I will smell it on purpose lol
Same here! Even the pungent odors appeal in a bizarre way. Although I agree, LV is a favorite...
lol, here's another favorite, grew it last year for the first time and the flower heads smelled like licorice loved that plant, trying tot hink of the name of it, agastache something or other.......
anise hyssop?
That's it! Hmmm, that smells good :) And I think I repeat myself, pineapple salvia/sage, love to work around that lol it smells so good.
I tucked a little pineapple sage into the garden last year and it was suddenly a BUSH. I love it. My hyssop did well, too, but not as well as that sage. Wow.
I love plants for scent. Rosemary, lavender, lemon verbena.
As my name implies I'm not a very experienced gardner but I have been growing herbs for a couple of years and am starting to get the hang of it. Another useful item for drying herbs is the mesh that onions and garlic come in. I save them for the fall and just put the herbs in loosely and hang them in my basement. The cheaper dehydrator will work if you keep the more fragile herbs on top only. I have given lavender sachets as Christmas presents using sachet covers I found in the dollar store or other crafts stores. This year I will attempt to make lavender sleeping masks. Critter on DG has written some excellent articles on herbs and I have learned a lot from them. Thank you Critter.
This is my first time post. I am usually lurking to get more information on my new adventures is gardening. This is an excellent site for useful information
Welcome newby! And thanks for the tips :o) Look forward to seeing you around.