Guidance On How To Drying Herbs & Spices
With the countless numbers of websites over the internet telling you of the benefits of treating illnesses and even diseases with the natural and organic way, I am sure that you are dying to know the step-by-step instructions of dying of herbs and spices. After compiling numerous references, we have here comprehensive and rather exhaustive tips on doing natural and organic herbs and spices extracts.
Prior to proceeding to the actual process of dying the freshest herbs and spices that you can find, some words of reminders,
First, you must understand that the process of dying your very own herbs and spices includes a rather meticulous and even tedious process of harvesting, peeling and removal of roots, the actual process of drying, and storage.
Second, the actual process of harvesting as you may know involves not only fundamental knowledge on how to collect the freshest herbs that you may find. Believe us — it is much more than that. Dying of the leaf, roots, and even the blossoms of herbs and even spices involves comprehending the science of horticulture such as the harvesting of your patch’s yields – when will the leaves of the basil be at the ripest or when will the ginseng root contains the highest concentration throughout the year.
Third, each herb and spices is created differently – they are special. And so must on how they are supposed to be harnessed for your own picking. There is such a special moment for all our known herbs and spices that we are not advised to pick the parsley when the rosemary is also in bloom.
Fourth, the best time for picking and collecting herbs and spices are during when 1) there is no rain or dew and 2) it is not high noon. In terms of the time, you must harvest your herbs and spices not too early in the morning when most plants are still showered with dew (to prevent molds) and not too late in the first half of your day to pick your produce when the sun is at its highest.
Fifth, you must harvest before your herbs show you its bloom. In terms of season, the best time for you to harvest is during late summer.
Now that you have known the best time and season to harvest most of your herbs and spices for drying, follow these easy and simple step-by-step instructions in drying your very own herbs and spices,
After picking, prepare the leaf or root of the herb. It is not necessary for you to wash your herbs, unless they have mud all over, as it may absorb moisture that may slow down and delay drying. Should you need to wash them, towel it dry before drying.
Everyone’s primary goal in drying their selection of herbs and spices is to retain its unique color, fragrant, and flavor. When your specific purpose in drying herbs is to provide a refreshing and cool scent in your home you must that the scent of a fresh bloom of your herb must be retained. In cooking, on the other hand, you must aim, of course, for the full body and flavor. To achieve this, most people think that the best way to do this is to hang clustered herbs to dry and be heated near, say, a window. Most prefer to have their herbs dry near a window in order that it may have sufficient amount of sunlight directed to it on most days. However, this is wrong. In order to achieve your specific goal, you must place your selected herbs and spices in a paper bag and secure at the top using a rubberband. Hang your herbs in this condition.
Check your herbs. A practical way to test whether your herbs are dry enough is when herbs crumble and fall of their stem.
Place the dry herbs in a tight-lid and dark colored glass jar for one year. The dark colored glass primarily preserves the scent and flavor of the herbs contained in it.
Though this guide shows the manual processing of herbs, a number of herbalists practice screen and oven drying of herbs and spices to accelerate this typically long and tedious process.
