Drying Herbs in Your Microwave

by Michele Pappagallo

2 Materials

10 Minutes

Easy

A quick, easy way to dry herbs in only a few minutes!

So, you have a basket full of fresh herbs you have just picked, and you want to dry them...but you don't want to spend hours working on it...right? Well, here is a quick, easy way to dry them that takes hardly any time at all. First, pick your herbs. Snip them off with scissors, a small knife or by pinching them off with your fingers. Then, make sure your herbs are clean and free of bugs, dirt, etc. I typically shake them lightly to remove any debris. If they are especially dirty, I sometimes use a small brush to lightly brush off any stubborn debris. If you need to rinse them, you can...but you will need to lay them out and let them dry completely before going to the next step.

All of your herbs can be dried the same way....Just lay a sheet or two of paper towel on a microwave-safe plate...lay your herbs on the paper towel, and cover with another layer of paper towel. For this step, you can lay the entire clipping on the paper towel...or you can strip the leaves off and lay them out individually. It is your choice. Now, put the plate of herbs into the microwave. Add a small glass of water to prevent overheating the microwave.

Microwave for 60 seconds and then check your herbs. If they are not dried, put them back in the microwave and heat again for 10-15 seconds until they are dry. Different herbs will take different times based on their moisture content...be sure not to overheat them or they will burn and be unusable. I actually like to zap mine until they are almost dry...and then lay them out on my counter to let them air dry for about an hour to remove any stubborn moisture. Also, by doing it this way, the herbs will stay nice and bright green.

Keep repeating the same process for each of your different herbs. When the paper towels gets moist, replace them with dry ones. It is best to separate your different herbs and do them one type at a time.

Once you have dried your herbs, simply strip them from their stems...or pick the leaves off individually...depending on the type of herb you are drying.

Next, store them in an airtight container in a dark place such as a cabinet. This will help them retain their flavor and freshness much longer. They are now ready to be used in all your favorite recipes, etc.

And, that's it! You are now an herb-drying expert! I have included pics of several different types of herbs from my garden to give you an idea of what they look like after I dry them. Although I love using fresh herbs....I also love having herbs available in the winter when my garden is dormant...plus, sometimes I get so many herbs that I can't use them all at once. Drying them helps me preserve them so I can use them year-round. This project is basically free, with the exception of the cost of a few paper towels....so enjoy!