How to Dry Herb Seeds

Most of us are familiar with drying herbs as a way to preserve the season's harvest. While you are gathering herbs to dry, you should also be gathering the seeds. Dried seeds can be used in numerous herbal remedies, cosmetic mixtures and even potpourris. In addition, you can save money and increase your stock of fresh herbs by drying the seeds to either sow outdoors the next year or to start indoors during the winter months.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• String or rubber band
• Brown paper bag
• Glass jar with lid

1. Gather your herbs after they have begun to flower. The seeds are contained in the flower heads. Make sure that you cut the stems at least 8 inches long.

2. Bundle the stems of the herbs together using either string or a rubber band.

3. Place your bundle of herbs upside down with the seed heads inside a brown paper bag. Tie the bag closed around the stems with either string or a rubber band.

4. Hang the bag in a dry place. Do not hang it in direct sunlight. The seeds will fall into the bag as they dry.

5. Remove the seeds and stems from the bag after most of the seeds have fallen. Remove any seeds remaining on the seed heads. Store them in a glass jar in a cool, dark area until you are ready to use them.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to label your seeds. If using dried seeds to make herbal powders, use a coffee grinder to finely grind them into a fine powder. The seeds from cilantro are called coriander and are most commonly used in cooking.

References

• Dorie Byers; Herbal Remedy Gardens; 1999.
• Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D.; Herbal Medicine: The Natural Way to Get Well and Stay Well; 1996.
• Sarah Baker, ed.; The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs, 2009.

Resources

• Plant Profile: Coriander-Cilantro