Herb Drying, Part I

In this video, Betty clips bunches of herbs from her herb garden to dry over the winter. This must be done before a killing frost comes along (which, for us, is predicted this weekend). The freshest, most newly grown herbs are harvested, and then brought to the kitchen for processing. I rinse the herbs thoroughly and pat them dry with paper toweling. It is best to let them dry for a few hours on paper towels, until they are completely dry. Then, take some string and tie each clump in sequence, leaving extra string at the ends for hanging. If desired, cover each clump or herbs with a brown paper bag, held in place with a rubber band, to protect from dust, etc. Find a cool, dry place that is well-ventilated to hang them in an arc (or straight). After the herbs have had time to dry completely (until they are brittle), you can remove them from their drying place and process each individual herb with a mortar and pestle and store it in a glass jar or airtight plastic bag. The herbs are then ready to use! I hope you enjoy this series. Part II will follow...