Things You'll Need:
- Herb plants
- A microwave
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Step 1
Purchase herb plants. Drying fresh herbs purchased from the grocery store is a good idea if you want to improve their flavor and have them available in your kitchen without a trip to the store. But, herbs plants cost about $2 and will give you a supply of fresh herbs which will last years.
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Step 2
Let the herb plant grow out for a few months. In two or three months you will have plenty of foliage to start drying fresh herbs.
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Step 3
Trim the herb plant. Cut off the top half of the herb plant. This will cause the herb to branch, creating a bushy plant with plenty more foliage for drying fresh herbs.
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Step 4
Dry fresh herbs in the microwave. Drying fresh herbs in the microwave is a good method because the herbs dry quickly and are depleted of moisture with little loss of their flavor-packed essential oils.
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Step 5
Place the fresh herbs on a paper towel and pop them in the microwave. Microwave the herbs for 1 minute, check for dryness and turn them. After a minute check to see if the leaves are coming off the stems. Fresh herbs are dry when the leaves begin coming off. The herbs should not get so dry they denigrate when touched.
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Step 6
Continue checking herbs and turning them every minute until they are dry. After drying fresh herbs, pull the leaves off of the stems, place them in tightly sealed jars and store for up to two years.
