Herb Activity Sheet

Drying and preserving herbs

Try these activities out for yourselves!

Drying lavender

1. Pick the Lavender heads when they are closed and the top florets have just burst. This gives you the strongest perfume because it contains the highest concentration of oils.
   
2. Spread the complete flower head on a tray to dry either in an airing cupboard or under the bed. Turn the flowers often to make sure that all parts of properly dry. 
   
3. You can use either the complete flower heads, or strip the separate flower heads from the stems.

Use them in pot-pourris or small bags made from cotton material.  See Activity sheets 5 and 6.

Other herbs may be dried a similar way.

1. Bunches of herbs can be picked on a dry day, preferably in the morning, after the dew has gone, but before the sun gets too hot. Tie them together at their stems and hung upside down to dry.
   
2. Find an airy, dust-free place out of the sun. An airing cupboard is ideal. This is important as the sun will bleach the colour, smell and flavour from the herbs. Leave until they are brittle enough to break easily between your fingers - about one week.
   Or 
   you can spread them on a tray or shelf between sheets of newspaper or muslin. Remember to turn them daily to allow the air to dry them properly. 
   Or
   if the air is dry and out of direct sunlight, leave them where you hung them to let their perfumes scent a room. 

Herbs used in cooking

Leaves of herbs for cooking can be arranged separately on a drying rack and turned regularly.

Drying roots

Roots of some herbs can also be dried. 

1. Liquorice, horseradish and marshmallow,  need to have their skin peeled first.
   But
   leave the skin on the root of others such as angelica and dandelion.
   
2. Cut the roots into 1cm slices and dry in the same way as the flowers. It takes roots longer to dry (often several weeks).
   Or
   To dry them more quickly, place in a warm oven until the slices are light and brittle.
   
3. Pack them in an airtight tin or a dark glass jar. (pictures)

Freezing herbs

Place some mixed herb leaves inside a small plastic bag, seal and put in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator.

Or, place leaves of borage flowers in water in ice cube trays and freeze them.

Although frozen herbs lose some of their flavour, they are ready to use when required.

Other activities

Now that you can dry herbs, you can make dried herbs all year round.

Look at other Activity sheets to find uses for dried herbs.

Find out

• How people dried herbs in the past 
• How dried herbs are used now
• How many different dried herbs are sold in your local supermarket
• Where herbs come from
• What other uses for herbs are

Various herbs drying on rack

Mixed bunch of herbs prepared for hanging to dry

You can store dried herbs in an air-tight jar.  Be sure to label the jar so you don't forget forget what is in there.

Mixed herbs that had been put in a small plastic bag before being put in the freezer. They are now crumbly and ready to use.

Dried fennel in a paper bag.