At a glance
- Harvest herbs just before flowering on a dry morning, then the most aroma sits in the leaves.
- Drying suits Mediterranean herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary. Tender, water-rich herbs are better frozen.
- Dried herbs keep best whole, dark, dry and airtight. Only crumble them when cooking.
- Freezing preserves the colour and freshness of basil, parsley, chives and dill best.
- Herb oil, herb salt and pesto are tasty ways to carry a summer surplus into winter.
In high summer the herb beds are full, and often more grows than you can use fresh. That is exactly the moment to secure the surplus for the cold season. Preserving herbs is no art, but it is worth knowing a few simple rules: not every herb likes the same method, and the harvest moment decides the aroma more than anything else.
The right harvest moment
Herbs contain the most essential oils just before they flower. That is the ideal time to harvest for the store. Cut on a dry morning, once the dew has dried but the midday sun has not yet driven the oils out of the leaves. Wet leaves easily go mouldy while drying.
Always harvest whole shoots or shoot tips rather than single leaves. That is faster, works like a harvest cut that keeps the plant bushy, and gives you the stems to bundle right away.
Four ways to preserve herbs
- Drying
The classic for Mediterranean and aromatic herbs with firm leaves. Needs only air, shade and time.
- Freezing
The best method for tender, water-rich herbs that turn bland when dried. Keeps colour and freshness.
- In oil and salt
Herb oil, herb butter and herb salt bind the aroma and are ready-made seasonings at the same time.
- As paste
Pesto and frozen herb pastes carry larger amounts of basil, parsley and the like into winter, ready to eat.
Drying: the classic
Drying works best on herbs with firm, oily leaves: thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, sage, savory and lavender keep a surprising amount of aroma when dried. Tender, water-rich herbs, by contrast, lose almost everything in drying.
Bundle or spread out
Tie small bunches loosely or spread the shoots in a single layer on a rack or cloth. What matters is that air reaches all the leaves; thick bundles go mouldy inside.
Hang shady and airy
Hang the bunches upside down in an airy, shady and warm place. Direct sun bleaches out colour and aroma. A dry attic or a shady pantry is ideal.
Watch for the right dryness
After about one to two weeks the leaves are done when they rustle and crumble when crushed. Pliable leaves still hold residual moisture and would go mouldy in the jar.
Speed it up in the oven
If you are in a hurry, dry at 35 to 40 degrees with the oven door slightly open. Higher temperatures drive off the essential oils, leaving only green hay.
Freezing: for the tender herbs
Basil, parsley, chives, dill and coriander keep far more of their aroma frozen than dried. Easiest, cut the herbs small, fill them into ice cube trays, pour a little water or olive oil over them and freeze in portions. You later drop the cubes straight into soup, sauce or pan.
Alternatively freeze whole leaves or small bunches flat in freezer bags. They turn soft after thawing and are no longer suited to garnish, but season just as well as fresh.
Herb oil, herb salt and pesto
Besides drying and freezing there is the indulgent camp. You make herb salt by blending fresh herbs with coarse salt in a ratio of about one to two and letting the mixture dry; it keeps for months. For herb oil, put washed, well-dried herbs into a clean jar with good oil.
Mind hygiene with herb oil
Fresh herbs in oil can spoil without air. Use only perfectly dry herbs, keep herb oil in the fridge and use it up within a few days to weeks. For long keeping, dried aroma is safer.
Pesto is the classic for a basil surplus: work the leaves with oil, nuts, cheese and garlic into a paste and freeze in portions. That way you have summer as a ready meal in the freezer.
Storing it right
Dried herbs keep their aroma longest if you leave them as whole as possible and crumble them only just before cooking. Chopped leaves lose their oils to the air quickly. Fill the dry herbs into clean, well-sealing jars, store them dark, cool and dry, and label each jar with content and harvest year.
The best time to preserve is when you have just too much.
Kitchen gardener's rule
Which herb, which way?
As a rough guide: the resinous Mediterranean herbs thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, sage, savory and lavender dry excellently. The soft, juicy kitchen herbs basil, parsley, chives, dill, chervil and coriander are better frozen or worked into paste, oil or salt. Mint and lemon balm lie in between; they dry well for tea, but for cooking they are better frozen.
Enter the main harvest weeks of your most important herbs in your garden journal. Then you do not miss the most aromatic moment and, in winter, have a shelf that smells of summer.
Common questions about preserving herbs
When should I harvest herbs for drying?
Just before flowering, on a dry morning once the dew is gone. Then the content of essential oils is highest. Harvest whole shoots rather than single leaves and process them as soon as possible.
Which herbs dry well?
The Mediterranean ones with firm, oily leaves: thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, sage, savory, lavender. Tender, water-rich herbs like basil, parsley and chives turn bland when dried, so freeze those instead.
How do I dry herbs best?
Loosely bundled or spread in a single layer in an airy, shady, warm place. After one to two weeks they are done when the leaves rustle and crumble. In the oven only at 35 to 40 degrees with the door open, or the aroma flies off.
How do I freeze herbs correctly?
Cut small, fill into ice cube trays, pour water or oil over them and freeze. Drop the cubes straight into the dish. You can also freeze whole leaves flat in a bag; they go soft but season well.
How do I store dried herbs?
Leave them as whole as possible, fill into airtight jars and keep dark, cool and dry. Crumble only just before cooking. Label the jars with content and harvest year; after about a year the aroma fades.
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