Drying Herbs

You may not think drying herbs is craftsy but it is.  It takes talent to know how long to dry and how to dry.  There are several different ways:  you air dry by tying your herbs in a bunch and hanging them, air dry by laying them flat, or my way with a dehydrator.  I have used all three at one point or another.
The dehydrator is the quickest and most efficient, in my opinion.  Pictured below is my oregano and sage that I recently dried.  I did several trays of each with one empty tray right above the heat element, this way the herbs on the bottom do get burnt.  I leave mine for about 24 hours, I check them after 12 or so and rotate them if necessary.  I love the aroma of dried herbs especially oregano, my house smelled like an Italian restaurant for a day.  

When cooking with dried herbs you may add them while cooking, when using fresh herbs you should only add them at the very end of cooking.  This was something I had a hard time getting used to.  I have always added herbs at the beginning of the cook.  Per what I have read, you want to add fresh herbs at the end of cooking because you want to take advantage of that fresh flavor.   When using dried herbs be sure you mash them between your fingers to release their essential oils.  

Once you have dried your herbs you need to be sure you store them properly.  I use glass jars for mine, it keeps air and moisture out and those are the enemies of your dried herbs.  If you have some herbs you have dried or have purchased be sure to check for mold and moisture in your containers.   If you open your container and do not smell that lovely herb, it is time to discard it and get new.