There’s a feeling of loss that comes with the beginning of fall and the end of the summer vegetable and herb growing season. The sun sets early, and nights grow cooler. As leaves begin to change color, every gardener knows it’s time to put their crops to bed. Green tomatoes get picked and pickled; beans get harvested, corn is picked, and cornstalks are pulled up and set aside until Halloween, when they will be arranged on the front porch with pumpkins and other decorations.

Microwave Herb Drying

Late summer and early fall is the perfect time to preserve summer herbs, dried in your microwave oven. When herbs dry in a microwave, the essential oils of the herbs are absorbed and stored in the leaves that result from the drying process.

Just as dried tomatoes, dried grapes (raisins) and dried plums (prunes) have a more concentrated flavor than the fresh fruits, dried herbs are many times more potent than fresh herbs. If you harvest fresh herbs from your garden at the end of the summer growing season and use microwave herb drying to preserve them, you can preserve enough concentrated herbs to meet your cooking needs for the entire winter.

How to Practice Microwave Herb Drying

Microwave herb drying starts with the harvest process. Herbs that are going to be dried should be harvested before they flower. When any plant flowers, it concentrates its energy into creating a flower, robbing the leaves of the essence of the plant. By harvesting the herbs before the flower starts to form, you collect the essential oils while they are still in the leaves of the plant.

Always cut herbs in the morning, before the heat of the day begins to radiate, and use sharp clippers or shears. Cut stems low on the plant. Gently shake the cut leaves to remove loose dirt or bugs. Taking just a few stems of the herb at a time, wrap a small bundle of herbs in a kitchen towel and place it in the microwave oven. Put a glass measuring cup full of water in the microwave to protect the towel and herbs from burning.

Heat the herbs for 30 seconds on high. After the timer goes off, remove the herbs from the oven. Do not unwrap the towel until it has cooled completely. Remove the dried leaves from the stems of the herbs and store them in a cool, dark area in a glass jar or plastic container. Dried herbs tend to look alike, so be sure to mark the container with the name of the herb inside.

Tags: Dried Herbs, Microwave Herb Drying, Prunes, Raisins

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