How to Harvest & Dry Lavender

Lavender is one of the most delicious scents we have in our common gardens. With a little effort, you can harvest and dry lavender for your home and create lovely sachets, candles and other items with its fragrance

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lavender
• Scissors or small pruning shears
• Drying rack, food dehydrator or string

Harvesting Lavender

1. Harvest lavender just before the small blooms open. Young leaves are also particularly fragrant, but they are best used fresh or frozen, not dried.

2. Grasp the stem four to five inches below the first flower on the stalk. Gently cut the stem at that point, making a clean break, and set the stem aside in a basket or on a dish towel.

3. Repeat this procedure for as many stems as you like. Lavender is a very pungent herb, but for most household uses you should harvest at least 10 stems at a time.

4. Take the stems indoors away from strong heat or light and lay out flat on a counter. Use your fingers to gently brush away any cobwebs, dirt, sticks, leaves or bugs from the leaves and flowers you've collected.

Drying the Lavender

5. Drying lavender can be done in one of three ways: using a drying rack, using a food dehydrator, or using the old method of stringing up the stems to dry.

6. If using a drying rack , simply lay the stems flat on the rack, leaving at least two inches of space between each stem. Place the rack in a cool dark place and allow to dry for at least one week. Check the stems periodically and turn over if necessary.

7. If using a food dehydrator, place your stems on the racks with at least two inches of space between each one. Run the dehydrator on low for about two hours, but for no longer - too much heat will strip the plant of its flavor. When done, allow the racks to cool down and then place the racks in a cool, dark place for at least two days, checking periodically for dryness.

8. The easiest method is to bunch the lavender stems up in bunches of five or six and hang them up to dry. Make a loop with strong string or jute twine and tie it around the end of the bunch, tightly enough to keep any from slipping but not so tight that the stems could break. Then hang the bunches upside down from rafters, hooks, or cabinets for at least two weeks. Make sure their drying place is not in direct sunlight and does not receive much wind.

Tips & Warnings

• Drying herbs requires cool temperatures, darker areas out of direct sunlight, and areas where air circulation is not too damaging to the plants.