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3 ways to dry fresh herbs

3 ways to dry fresh herbs

How can you dry herbs? We explain three different ways to make your own dried herbs.

1. Drying herbs in the oven

Wash the sprigs of herbs and pat them dry. Spread them on a baking sheet. Set the oven to the lowest temperature and allow the herbs to dry until they become brittle. This can take several hours, depending on the herbs.

Read also: 'These 10 popular herbs do not match with medicines'

2. Dry herbs in the microwave

A much-shared tip is drying herbs in the microwave. Be careful not to set the microwave too high or too long to prevent the kitchen paper from catching fire. Stand by. Remove the leaves from the stem and spread the leaves on a piece of kitchen paper. You can dry the herbs in your microwave in about 3 minutes. Set your microwave to a maximum of 700 watts. A safer alternative is to use a microwave-safe container, the disadvantage is that it does not absorb the moisture from the herbs.

3. Air dry herbs

Drying herbs in the air only works if the humidity is not too high, in a warm and dry room. Hang the herbs with the stems up and wait for them to dry, which can take over a week.

Which herbs can you dry?

Not all herbs are equally suitable for drying. Strong herbs such as bay leaf, thyme or rosemary are especially suitable. Herbs with large and softer leaves, such as basil, are more difficult to dry.