Drying herbs

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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 11
Depends, for flowers and petals and such I dry them out in the sun on top of a paper bag. For stuff like rosemary and other "dry" herbs I leave them out in a well ventilated area. I don't dry stuff like mint or root. I put them in a jar filled with a solution of three-parts water, one part honey and shake the jar once a day.
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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 12

Some good information here about drying herbs.

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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 13
Does anyone have any tips for pressing herbs?
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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 14

I dry them out on a hot summer day. Just wrap string and leave them out to dry. Then hang them up. Seems to work for me.

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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 15
At the moment, it's winter. A strong winterstorm broke down some Viscum album ("false" mistletoe, white mistletoe) plants. I collected some leaves for incense, cut them in small stripes and left them on a cupboard to dry.

Main herb season is in spring and summer. That horrible rosemary is growing like a weed. I cut it back, leave it to dry in the sun. Same with lavender. Rose petals are mostly useless, unless you own a Bulgarian oil rose. I own "Kew Gardens" and "Ghislaine the Feligonde" - pretty as they are, it would be a waste of time to dry their petals, better enjoy them in the garden. Do not collect wild rose species, it's hard to tell them apart and some are very rare, strongly protected.

Fruits, mushrooms and "algae" have to be dried in the oven (30 to 50 degrees), then put into glasses while the stuff is still hot. This will prevent mould and insects.
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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 16

I've been looking into drying herbs for storage as I've been foraging a little more than I usually do. Really trying to take what the Earth gives for us and get closer to Nature. I know of hanging the herbs upside down, but I'm also curious about how long it usually takes? I don't want to eventually forget about them (as I do more often than not).

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Re: Drying herbs
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Post # 17
Well, if you're going to bake with the rosemary, you can keep it in the freezer, though any magical properties intended for the rosemary would be lost. Still, rosemary in the freezer preserves far more than keeping it out in the open. Lavender and rose are really soluble with oil, so you would keep them in a dark place like a cabinet without keeping it in a bag so it doesn't mold.
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