Drying Smudge Sticks

Hi.

I am looking for advice on how to dry a smudge stick I have just made.

I do not have a place to hang it so my option is to lie it flat. The place is humid, though I have been able to dry flowers and other plants.

I realize this will take time. I suppose what I am wondering is if there are methods to make sure there is no mildew or anything to grow on the stick. I collected the plants dry and not wet or damp. It is not a rainy day. I do plan to periodically check on the stick to make sure it is drying properly. Is there anything else I can do?

Login or Signup to reply to this post.

I have seen people use dehydrators for herbs and plants. I have also seen people place them on cookie sheets and put them in the oven to dry. You need to keep checking them to make sure they aren't burning or drying out too quickly, if placed in the oven, however.

Hi Mis.

Thank you.

I think for now I'll let these naturally dry. If at a later date I want to dry them faster, I will let them bake on a small sheet pan at 150 degrees slowly. Between 150 and 175. And I will keep my eye on them.

I made two deity variety smudge sticks. One for Epona and one for Nemesis. I love how they came out.

I can not wait until they dry to try them.

When using an oven to dry things, you want a low temperature (175 as previously mentioned is pretty good). Also prop the oven open slightly so the heat doesn't build up so much as pass through and carry moisture with it.

Also, if you have a perforated tray like a pizza pan or a steel screen helps a lot. Drying happens best with heated and moving air.

Thank you Spirit, you actually gave me a great idea. 175 degrees seems like it will work well. I will have to keep an eye on it, but it should help speed some of the drying process. Thanks again.

No problem! I picked up that trick thanks to a friend who did mushroom picks behind forest fires.

Alton Brown used to have a Good Eats episode on YouTube about drying herbs. That said, it was about loose herbs rather than bundles. I'd imagine, though, that a lot of the techniques would work the same. One of the simplest was sandwiching the herbs between two air conditioning filters lined with paper towels, and strapping it to the front of a box fan. I'd suggest, with bundles, to dismantle the apparatus to rotate the herbs every so often so they dry more evenly.

Of course, I'd think a bundle will take longer to dry than loose herbs, and the center will take the longest.

Thank you very much everyone.