If you want to brew herbal teas, using dried herbs will give you the strongest brew and the most intense flavor.

The Easiest Ways to Dry Herbs

These are my favorite ways to dry freshly harvested herbs, because they are convenient, effective, and energy-efficient:

• An electric dehydrator is a great choice for small things like rose petals; they’ll curl up crisp and retain their color and heavenly smell. Downside: it uses electricity, and it’s yet another appliance to store in your home. The best herbs for use in a dehydrator: rose petals, lemon balm leaves, violet flowers, calendula flowers, fennel fronds, rosehips, elderberries.

• Newsprint: For a simple method, spread a few layers of newspaper or paper towels on the floor or on a table where it won’t be trampled or blown by a breeze. An attic is an ideal place for this. Spread the stalks or branches of your herbs in single layers; don’t strip the leaves off until they are crisp-dry.

  

• Hanging in Bags. While bunches of herbs hung along the rafters of the kitchen look beautiful and charming, they aren’t really potent and are more for looks than for use. However, hanging has its place, especially if you hang the herbs from a nail or hook and then encase them in a brown paper bag. This helps retain the color and also catches bits of flower or leaf that may fall from the stalk during the drying process. When the plant is dry, simply remove the plant, shake it inside the bag, and strip the leaves from the stalk directly into the bag. Again, this is best done in an attic or other warm, dark space.

(Caption: herbs hanging at fellow herbalist Laurisa Rich's home)

• An old screen from a door or window is a great vehicle for drying herbs.

Can I Dry Herbal Roots at Home?

Leaves and flowers can be dried easily as they are (often left on the stalk). But roots become very hard once they're dry. Be sure to chop any roots you wish to dry prior to drying them. Once dry, roots are incredibly difficult to chop. Clean the roots thoroughly and chop them while they are fresh. Then follow the steps here to dry them.

Herbal Screen Drying Basics

I’ve found wonderful creative places to put the screen: balanced across two sawhorses, in the backseat of a warm car, or—my favorite—affixed to the top of the staircase between the railing and the wall. Warm air rises up the stairs and dries the herbs on its way. Many herbalists like warm, drafty attics: they are dry and generally dark, which are two key elements in drying herbs while maintaining their potency.

Tips for Using the Screen Drying Method

Step 1: Position the screen. Choose a place that is well-ventilated but not windy, and that is fairly dark. Avoid places that are balmy or moist, such as kitchens. Even though the top of the refrigerator is warm, it’s too wet and greasy and your herbs will not dry properly.

Step 2: Collect your herbs (stalks of lemon balm, stalks of boneset, individual comfrey leaves, branches of mint, heads of elderflower, etc). Spread them out in a single layer on the screen. Again, don't strip the leaves off until they're crispy-dry.

Step 3: Wait a few weeks. When the herbs are completely crisp, strip the dried leaves or flowers from their stalks into your waiting container. Now you can make your remedies, brew your hot tea, or blend potpourri. (See this sweet craft for using dried herbs for other ideas.)

Excerpted/adapted from Llewellyn’s Little Book of Herbs by Holly Bellebuono