How to Dry Herbs--Easy and Cheap

I have been growing my little "kitchen" patch of herbs for over 15 years now.  I pick them fresh for cooking with, but have always had more than needed.  So I dry them to use throughout the year until the following year's fresh herbs are ready to harvest.  I tried hanging them in bundles at first but they collected dust.  I use the following method, which is also great for drying flowers to gather the seeds for replanting/expanding and for the petals.  I use both dried herbs and flower petals in homemade soaps.

No need to rinse your herbs unless you use chemical pesticides, which I never use and there has been no need to.  I sometimes use a natural bug determent but wait at least a day, usually a week, before cutting and drying.  I'm sure I am over-careful!  I dry them on a window screen, you can choose size or how many you want depending on your needs.  Cleaned old ones are fine as long as they are in good condition and have no rust on the screen itself.  You can dry all herbs this way with little or no cost.  Elevate screen from the floor as you want air circulation both above and below your cuttings.  Place in a dark and dry room.  I never place in an air conditioned room, but your priorities should be dark and dry, not HUMID, however you need to accomplish those two.

When the herbs are ready to store, they will break up easily between your fingers (crispy and crumbly is the best way I can describe).  Check them daily.  If you over-dry, the aroma will decrease and the taste when later used will be basically useless.  That is something you don't want to store and cook with up to 1 year maximum.  The 1 year rule also applies to most store dried herbs you buy.  Just get rid of that try (feed to chickens, add to mulch pile, whatever) and start over again with new fresh herbs.  Usually all the dirt on the unwashed herbs will drop off during drying and when you remove to a basket lined with paper towels--or whatever you want to use.  Next I put the herbs in a lidded mason jar by hand (used, washed mason jars, seals and lids are what I use).

If you can't stand the idea of not washing your own naturally grown herbs, then rinse and gently dry between paper towels BEFORE you dry on screen.  There are other ways of preserving your herbs including freezing, storing in olive oil, dry-packing with salt and infusions.  I will share these with you later.