It is harvest season after all. One of the easiest and most satisfying autumn tasks you can indulge in is harvesting your own herbs. It doesn’t cost much at all to purchase your own seeds and only a bit more to buy individual plants. Harvesting and drying herbs takes an underwhelming amount of time to complete and can be done alongside those tiny hands that long to help out.
I personally keep my herb beds close to the house. I have no excuse but to use them in a number of home cooked dishes throughout the summer into fall. It is reassuring that nothing has to go to waste. Here we are ready to reap what we've sown and prepare for colder months ahead. Below is a simple step-by-step guide to harvest and dry your herbs at home.
The bouquets that you will make waft a subtle scent throughout your space and make for sweet seasonal décor for a couple of weeks as they dry out. I started with rosemary, parsley, and rosemary bundles and enjoyed popping off flower heads of chamomile with my littles. The finished product will be a surplus of dried herbs to level up home cooking or can even be savored for homemade skincare products.
Local and homemade lavender, peppermint, and rosemary are a few of the many dried herbs that go into our farms goat milk soap and products. And if you happen to wind up with more than you bargained for, think of passing some along to make a perfect gift to a friend.
HARVESTING HERBS
1.Cut only herbs that have grown over 6 inches tall. Be sure to cut with scissors to make each of your bunches of choice. You may be able to harvest more than once a season if you take good care of your plant hence a clean cut.
2.Give a moment to pluck off any bugs or dead leaves and give the herbs a good shake off.
3.Use twine or any scrap rope to bundle up each bunch of herbs that has been cut.
4.Find a place to tie up each bouquet to hang upside down. Don’t be afraid to show them off as temporary décor in the home as they dry out.
5.Check on your herbs within a week or two. Leave hanging until COMPLETELY dry.
6.Remove your bouquets and remove leaves from the stems.
7.Prepare to store and label in clean glass jars with airtight lids or grind them up to your liking before pouring into jars.
8.Expect your homemade spices to keep for up to a year.
