How to Use an Herb Drying Rack

Drying herbs from your garden is a fantastic way to keep your kitchen stocked with fragrant ingredients for your recipes. But drying can be an imprecise science. Often you end up with blackened edges or a molded mass of decomposing leaves. An herb drying rack can take much of the guesswork out of preserving herbs.

The first step to getting the best final product is knowing when to harvest your herb garden. Wait until the herb has produced buds, but not until it flowers. At this budding time, the herb is bursting with essential oils, which are flavor- and scent- producing agents. When you dry the herb at this point, the maximum amount of essential oils will be preserved.

Shake the harvested herbs gently to remove pests and soil. Bring them inside and rinse them gently, and then let them air dry on paper towels.

Racking Up

Attach the herbs upside-down to the drying rack using the included clamps or hooks. If the rack is a horizontal rack, simply lay them flat. Then place the drying rack in a dark, dry closet and let the herbs preserve until they are brittle, usually a week.

Some horizontal drying racks are meant to be used in the oven. This way the herb dries more quickly. This is especially useful when drying thick-leaved herbs or flowers. Put the oven on its lowest heat setting, usually 200 or 250. Use the “warm” setting if your oven has one, as a temperature of 100-150 is ideal. Place the drying rack in the center of the oven and leave the door open. Watch the herbs constantly, removing them every few minutes to test for brittleness. It is easy to burn herbs if you preserve them this way, so it’s okay to start them in the oven for a few minutes, and then let them finish drying on the rack in a dark closet.

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