Why drying your own herbs is worth the shelf space

A smallholding herb bed is generous to a fault. By late July the thyme is spilling over the path, the oregano has gone mad, and there is more mint than any household can reasonably use in salads. Drying is the simplest way to turn that glut into something that earns its keep all winter, when a sprig of your own rosemary in a stew tastes nothing like the dusty contents of a supermarket jar. It costs nothing but string and patience, and it can be done in odd half-hours between other chores.

Cut mid-morning, and cut before the flowers open

Timing matters more than technique. Herbs carry their essential oils in tiny glands on the leaves, and those oils peak on a dry, sunny morning once the dew has lifted but before the heat of the day drives the aroma off into the air. Aim for mid-morning, ideally after two or three dry days.

Cut before the plant flowers. Once herbs put their energy into flower and seed, leaf flavour drops sharply. If you miss the window, cut anyway and simply strip the flowers off with the leaves.

Use sharp scissors or secateurs and take stems around 10–15cm long, cutting just above a leaf pair so the plant bushes out again. Don't wash the stems unless they are genuinely muddy. If you do rinse them, shake them well and lay them on a tea towel until bone dry — damp leaves are the main cause of mouldy bunches.

Tie small bunches, not big ones

The temptation is to make one thick bundle per plant. Resist it. Air needs to move through the middle of the bunch, or the centre will go black before the outside is dry.

Sort into bunches about the thickness of a 50p piece — roughly five to eight stems. Strip the lower leaves, leaving a bare stem to tie around, and keep those stripped leaves; they can go on a tray to dry loose. Tie with garden twine or a rubber band. Elastic is useful because stems shrink as they dry, and a loose tie drops the bunch on the floor.

Label as you go if you are drying several varieties that look alike. A scrap of paper and a pencil takes seconds and saves a winter of guessing.

Hang them in the dark, with air moving

The ideal spot is a dark, dry room with gentle air movement: a spare bedroom, a loft, a well-ventilated shed or a north-facing pantry. Dark matters — sunlight bleaches colour and breaks down the oils you have just gone to the trouble of preserving. Warm is fine, hot is not. An airing cupboard is usually too warm and too enclosed.

Hang bunches upside down from a line, a clothes airer or a hook in a beam, spaced so they do not touch. Upside down is not superstition: it lets the oils run down into the leaves as the stems dry and keeps the bunch in shape.

If the weather turns humid, or you are drying seed-heavy herbs such as dill and fennel, slip a paper bag over each bunch, punch a few holes in it and tie it loosely at the top. The bag catches fallen seed and keeps dust off, while the holes let moisture escape. Fruit trays or old cake cooling racks work well for loose leaves. When a wet September makes air-drying hopeless, a dehydrator on its lowest setting, or an oven at 40–50°C with the door propped ajar for an hour or two, will finish the job.

Test for brittleness, then strip the leaves

Drying takes one to three weeks depending on the herb and the weather. Thyme, rosemary and oregano are often ready in a fortnight; mint and lemon balm take longer. Test by bending a stem: it should snap, not bend. A leaf should crumble between your fingers. If it is still leathery, give it another few days.

Then strip the leaves. Work over a large bowl or a sheet of baking paper, because you will catch far more that way. Run your fingers down each stem, or rub the bunch between your palms. Remove woody stalks, which add nothing but bulk, and pick out any discoloured leaves.

You can leave leaves whole and crumble them as you cook. Whole leaves hold their aroma longer, so only crush what you need.

Jar them up and keep them out of the light

Decant into small glass jars with airtight lids — jam jars are fine if the lid seals properly. Pack them full to limit the air inside, screw down, and label with the herb and the year.

Store in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the heat of the hob and the light of a windowsill. Check the jars after a week: if you see condensation inside or catch a musty smell, tip the contents back out to dry and start again.

• Dry well: thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, sage, bay, winter savoury, mint, lemon balm, dill and fennel seed.
• Freeze instead: basil, parsley, chives, coriander and tarragon, chopped and frozen in ice cube trays with a little water or oil.

Most dried herbs hold good flavour for about a year, so plan to replace your jars each season. Use them generously: home-dried herbs are often stronger than shop-bought, so start with less and add more. Come February, when you are banging a casserole into the oven, that jar of summer oregano will feel like a small triumph.