spoiler: he ties string around them and hangs em up.

I dry my loose herbs in brown paper bags. I put the bags in my closed car. The dry heat in the car dries the herbs beautifully in just a few days.

I' m almost 70 and remember going to my grandmothers house and seeing her dinning room table full of cookie sheets full of drying herbs. I cut my herbs wash them and drain them good, then take a pair of scissors and cut the leaves from the stems. I spread the leaves out on the cookie sheets can be layered because everyday I give them a toss them. When dried I put them in glass containers in the cupboard and they are ready to use. I know how brittle they are when hanging and don't care to clean up the mess on the floor as they get bumped. My method took less than a hour to do 7 different kinds last niight and will be dried good in 5 days to a week. Try it this way once, I'm sure you'll like it too or better.

Finally someone who points out the value of slowing down life and take time to do things right. Life is to be savored.

There’s a reason why people have been doing it this way for thousands of years... if it’s not broken don’t fix it. Great video Luke!

Great info for dryer climates Luke. 👍 Unfortunately the humidity in some climates prevents drying some herbs this way. The sage we first hug ended up being a mouldy clump. We can spread them out on racks to help prevent that but that takes up space we don't have. We find the best way to dry them is the dehydrator set on the lowest setting (around 30°C/86°F) for herbs. Cheers & have a top one.

Ok. Funny observation from a closed caption user. You held up scissors and spoke so fast that it translated as "youre gonna need sedative to cut the string." It made me laugh. Thought it might make someone else laugh too.

"You need herbs obviously, and you just need Thyme" 😆

Our basil dried fantastic this year using this method. We had so much amazing smelling basil that we could not use fresh.

I air dry my Lavender & omg the aromatics that comes from the drying lavender. I got a 4oz harvest this summer/fall & I'm going to make Lavender Scones for Christmas morning 😋😋😋

I love this method of drying herbs. One thing to remember is that as they dry, they shrink, and are prone to falling out of the string is bumped. Also, make sure your herbs are bug free before you hang them up! It's a good idea to mention giving them a quick rinse outside when you pick them to make sure you're not bringing any bugs into your house. Thanks for the great video!

I did this last year in paper bags upside down in my walk in closet. I wasn't upside down, just the herbs... I am still using my sage. We used all the mint as tea... it was amazing! Thanx for the tip!

I discovered this dehydrating method by accident. I live in Houston. On one of the hot summer afternoon, I left a big bunch of basil and thyme in my car by accident. I ended up giving dry herbs instead of fresh herbs to my friend.

I've done it both ways. I have a few issues with air drying. Some herbs, like basil, tend to oxidize whereas using a dehydrater helps them to retain their color better. There are leaves like black tea you want to oxidize because it improves the flavor. So that can be good or bad depending on what you want. Another issue is that when hung upside down the moisture drains from the stems into the leave ends and the leaf ends drive very slowly which can then lead to molding or even poor flavors. That was my experience with dill. I'm ok with air drying dill, but I would recommend you do it right side up so that the moisture drains to the stem.

I dried Rosemary and Sage from my garden this summer and when I add my own to dishes and compare it to the stuff I get in the store, there is such a HUGE difference in flavor. I have vowed to never buy dried Mediterranean herbs ever again.

I love this method. However, I dry mine in mesh produce bags (The kind you see in the produce area of the supermarket). I wash the herbs and place them in bags and hang on the wall until dry. It also keeps the bugs and dust off.

I used to do this in the 90’s as that was the style on the walls. It worked great. Just don’t leave them up there for months and then use them (because of the dust😬)!

And they make your house smell so good while they dry.

Concerning all the comments about this being impractical in humid climates, please note that it is air flow, not heat per se, that dries the herbs most effectively. I live in soggy old England, literally overlooking the sea, it's pretty damp here too. This method does work, but you might want a draftier house than modern airtight ones typically are, or place it somewhere with moving air, like above a radiator or stove during the cooler seasons or near an open window or fan during warmer days. NB: try to keep herbs out of direct sun also, as this too leads to deterioration of their quality.

I’ve always dried my herbs like this because my grandmother did😃 Edit: I’ve even dried mint successfully. I make a slip knot to put around my bunch of herbs.

1:22 "why people are dehydrating herbs with heat dehydrating?" Well, here in Ireland where the average humidity is about 80-95% and the average temperature is about 65F, we use a heat dehydrator because that is the only way to dry herbs. If we were to hang herbs like that, they would go mouldy faaaaar before they even had a chance to dehydrate. Hello from the country where "drying out" is just unheard of. 😘 👍

I love your channel ❤️. I watch a lot of gardening channels but you by far give me the back yard gardener the best advise. My tomatoes are awesome this year due to you. You saved me from dehydrating herbs that I’m going to harvest tomorrow. My pantry will be a great place to hang them even though I live in the south. Thank you again for all of your great advise. You’re my go to channel!

This is my second year gardening. Ive recently wondered about preserving herbs and making tea. Thank you for all the content you've provided via KZfaq.

Thank you; this is the first season I have been able to successfully grow lavender, and I SO want to dry and persevere it!

I usually dry them this way but never knew about the oils. Thanks.

I love the look of my herbs hanging from my dinning room wall!

I get spearmint growing wild in my yard every year. I discovered it when I was pulling weeds. I pulled one out of the ground and that wonderful smell hit my nostrils. So every September, we pull some and dry it exactly like this. Dried spearmint is great in some plain water. I also make tea from it when someone has a stomach ache.

This is the way my family has been drying herbs for centuries as well. I hang mine in my large pantry & onto the wire racks. Love your herb wall!!

I opened up my dehyadrator and just disconnected the heating element. Now it's just a a blower with a cover.

Thank you for this video I just clipped my rosemary and thyme plant getting ready for winter. Great tip Love your channel.

I dry flowers upside down all the time, it's so effective for preservation. I figured i should do sage/mint this way but had to check. Thanks

Good video man. I love high oil content herbs like those you've shown. They preserve themselves it's beautiful. I have some rosemary, sage and thyme that's 3 years old and smells more potent than when I first dried it. I thought I'd mention something about the low oil content herbs like basil and parsley. The flavor in the leaves vanish if you dehydrate them but I found out that you can wait till the buds almost open up into flower and then harvest them. Same way you'd harvest lavender just before flowers open and hang them to dry. I have jars of basil, parsley and oregano flowers dried down. They are so fragrant and the oil content is much higher allowing them to last for years. Parsley seed crushed also tastes and smells like fresh so that's another alternative to preserve fresh parsley flavor. It's a lot more potent but you just get used to how much to use such as a teaspoon of crushed seed into a soup in place of a large handful of minced fresh leaves. You can apply this concept to any low oil content herbs that don't retain their flavor when dried. I was so excited when I found this out. Just thought I'd share this

Great tip on drying herbs! I am looking forward to using this next year. Also, you should start a series on the history of gardening. Perhaps videos on ancient gardening methods or plant biographies that explain things like carrots once being purple or why bananas seem to have no seeds. Keep up the great work!

My favorite gardening on KZfaq!❤️🙏🏼

I am so glad that I came across this video! I have been dehydrating my herbs but then started using your method and you are right I will never use an oven or dehydrator again to dry herbs. Thanks again!

Plus!!! Your house smells amazing when you're hang drying herbs 😊

I wrap them loosely in cheesecloth and put in the door of the fridge. Dries perfect. I dry basil this way too and it comes out pretty strong tasting.

This method is awesome, it’s how my grandparents used to do it :-)

Great idea! This just inspired us. I love that this is functional and decorative.

That's what I've been doing this year as well! Love how it looks in the house.

Your herbs drying method is so much simple and makes more sense than using oven or dehydrator like some others do.

I do not get why you got thumbs down your presentation was so informative. I do a lot of dehydrating and would prefer your method for my herbs. I am disabled have a very fixed income and save a lot of money dehydrating, canning and freezing food. I loved this video! Your channel is the best I have learned a lot from you and your wife. I bought some seeds from you last month and thought I got a lot for my money can't wait to plant them!

Mega Awesome, I did Sage and Thyme like this Instinctually about 2 weeks ago! Thanks for the Vid! SHOUTS FROM FLINT MI!

So simple and you could do it anywhere! Good stuff

My mum always did this our house used to smell so good 😊

Your video popped up just before i was going to dry my sage in the oven...first time Im going to do this instead.. Thank you...!

I am so glad to find this video. Best instructions for a beginner like me. I will definitely dry herbs this way.

This is pretty much what I usually do too. Great point about the water rich herbs.

Yes! I rarely wish for a way to give 100 thumbs up to a video! You're a joy to watch & a wonderful gardener. I can't say enough about. how thrilled I am to see someone bringing back the "elder" ways. I call them that, bc as you mentioned they've been used for centuries. I'm a Master Herbalist so I look for things like this- (my apothecary/herb room walls look just like this!) People in this age aren't keen on learning alchemy. Not everyone could do it, but thr basics should still be used. Chemists, maybe? But, they'd never call it alchemy. It's been associated w/ witchcraft, and the occult, (which only means hidden knowledge) but has taken on such negative connotations in our society, it's a shame. It's how we learn to utilize that which grows right outside many of our doors, we just aren't aware! As you were saying, the distillation process is quite important. It's 1 of 7 (or 12) steps. Otherwise we lose those nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, etc. that are essential for our health. Drying herbs should be done in exactly as you described, esp.. using untreated twine. If they're not dried this way we lose the healing benefit of fresh herbs again. Btw, I'm sure you have a fab video on this already, but, I dry my basil on a screen, in a dark, dry room. That way it can air dry, this oven thing you described freaked me out! No wonder dried, store- bought basil tastes so weak & different! Some plants, I cut the main stem before it can flower, so it becomes lush. Then, I have a few plants that I allow to flower. Then, I pinch the flower off & let them dry on the same type of screen w/ something to catch the seeds under it. I use the flowers for medicinal purposes. So many thanks! I know these vids are a great deal of work. So, I subbed! Happy to have found your channel, I'll be sharing your videos often! Best to you

I have done both. I prefer my dehydrator for speed, consistency, and saving space. I disagree about the hung herbs being more flavorful, I couldn't tell the difference. Both methods taste better than purchased dried herbs. I also find hung herbs collect dust. I do like the look of the bunches. Very cute.

Thanks so much! You're videos have improved my life. Very grateful!

Just hung basil and oregano for the first time. I'm so excited!

I dry on hangers from s curtain rod!

I've been drying my herbs, flowers, etc..., for decades like this, and after they're dry, before they get any dust, its time to put them in Mason jars, or food saver bags. I have dried basil, Thai basil, cilantro, parsley, like this, no problem, always retains its flavor, and potency. Plus it adds a little bit of natural decor, while its drying.😉

Just fantastic teaching , truly grateful, and watching the video is pleasant to mind and soul

Great tip!! I'm growing lots of great stuff this year including herbs. I have the perfect spot to let them dry naturally.

This is how I dry my herbs all the time. Unless they are a "wet" type plant (Onions, ect. Which I never do) I hang dry. it is soooooo much better than ovens or dehydrators!

You can also use floral wire or something like it instead of string (I've used pipe cleaners before, but those have fuzz on them you probably don't want in your food). Super easy though, just wrap it around the bunch twice, make a hook on the top end, and hang it. Takes like 3 seconds

I just found this channel today and I love it. VERY HELPFUL!

So glad you did this video !! My favorite way to dry my herb!!!

Too funny!! The ad on the video is for a DEHYDRATOR!! Just what Luke says NOT to use.

I also hang mine. I take a stick and tie a rope to both ends and a nail in the wall or the hook y the fireplace, although I rarely use the fireplace this time of year. Then I hang the herb bunches from the stick. How do you store after drying? I use tall mason jars trying not to do much with the herbs until cooking time. Otherwise you could release some of their essential oils. So I have heard. Works for me!

Good stuff, Luke; thanks! I always harvest the rosemary off the plant for the fresh, piney flavor, but I want to dry my winter savory, and this will be perfect! I'll tie it up and put it out in the (windowless) garage.

I really enjoyed this video, love to dry herbs and l found your method easy and very pretty. Thank you. 😊🐱🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

You can also dry bell peppers, jalapeños, chillies and all the peppers. Than soak them up in water or the hot peppers you can grid. Also you can grid up the peppers for paprika( I will tell you the name) ; really you can not compare the taste. The sweet paprika is made out of red bell pepper of different varieties, it can be smoked as well if you want to.

Great vid! I have to use a dehydrator, though. My house is nearly 200 years old and built of stone, so the humidity levels even in winter are very high. I've tried drying herbs this way, but they end up just not drying.

As always Luke, a natural, inexpensive and very cool way to be more efficient. Thanks

Love your videos! I've learned so much, you made keeping it organic so much easier thankyou !

Great info, Luke! I have switched to air drying my herbs and it works great even in my humid weather. Of course, there are a few that do not work well with this method as you mentioned. I find that the essential oils and aroma is much stronger than when I was drying them in my oven or dehydrator.

Ya I’ve dried my herbs for years but tacky hanging way....mine are on a wooden frame that has such a lovely visual appeal!

I love the way you explained .

Thanks for the info. I'm in the process of trying savoury for the first time.

When will you show us how to make mint and chamomile tea I remember the chamomile video

Yup Im thinking that just growing fresh mint and basil along with the coriander and nasturtium that I use a lot is the best. I do dry nasturtium seeds wgich are like capers and have the excellent medicinal. In hand. There's no hardship in keeping fresh herbs both on the porch and in the house. Thanks for reiterating what I have been doing for the last half century (I was taught in the 60's as a child by a very wise woman and I was taught about wild medicinal herbs as I suppose she is what would be called a hedgewitch....a very accomplished lady who also taught me about being able to live without electricity etc....something that looks like proving to be very important these days. I am going to sub because despise being fine with herbs etc my vegetable garden (I can grow lots of kale and rhubarb and we have lots of wild edibles, but I am totally rubbish at what you call zucchini and any gourds and my tomatoes are iffy...I need to get this and a refresher in preservation without refrigeration before I will be totally happy. ..also geowing stuff like lentils as well as wild nuts and beans would be a help. Apart from the raised beds and some polytunnel (it is Scotland and we tend to get awful weather) the rest of my thirty odd acres is in woodland, its being replanted with deciduous indigenous trees and a bee and butteefly meadow mix to encourage both. I will not be using any chemicals but natural predation of pests and strategic planting.

I airdry my herbs too, even basil. I always try to use the most organic methods. Thanks for this video, and explanation of the process👍🌿

Doing this tomorrow!!! It looks pretty too! 🌱🌱🌱

Hi, does it work well for lemongrass? Thank you. :)

Oh I needed this tip!!!!!! I have 4 different herbs and a basil tree I want to dry and store!! Thank you!

Thank you for this Awesome Tip 👍🏼🌱

Thank you so much! I’m trying this (only with Command picture hooks). So excited! Yay 🙌🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Time to do an update on the giant Crimson tomato are you still growing it in the house? How is it doing

I probably missed it but do u rinse off first? I hung mine in a guest bedroom closet with door open. It worked perfect! Merry Christmas to you & your beaitiful wife & adorable daughter! Thank you for all your videos & the Trifecta...love it!

This is great! I have done what you suggested, although people suggested other ideas. I hang them in my bedroom so it has an herbal scent. I have poked sewing pins into the drywall and hang several bunches at different lengths.

We have a small 6'x6' area on an enclosed back porch I use for drying herbs. We got a long tension rod, then hung shower curtain rings from it. Tie long lengths of twine onto the rings and attach twined herb bundles to the ends with clothes pins. The shower curtains rings let you slide the herb bundles apart as needed. After the season ends, you can take the rod down or just slide all the hanging ends of twine to the wall. There is a small wall fan we'll set on low just to keep air moving if we're really drying a LOT all at once. So far, it's worked really well!

So helpful. Maybe a silly question, but do you rinse the herbs before drying them? Just in water or with a bit of vinegar?

Hi Luke. Here's a great tip for dehydrating things. Dehydrate in the refrigerator on a sheet of food grade corrugated cardboard. I dehydrate mushrooms, peppers and all sorts of other stuff with this method. It works great. I have never seen anyone else doing this, perhaps no one ever thought of doing it.

We've always done that with laurel here in Portugal, so easy!

Very nice demonstration, I took this method for granted, but its very informative

Can't believe someone gave a thumbs down! This was great.👍

I've dried it that way and it became very dusty. Yuck. I've actually had some success by putting the stuff to dry in a brown paper bag and put in car on dash. No dust and very dry. No mold either

Thank you...great advice to dry herbs...the old fashioned tried and true!

An added benefit is whatever room has the drying herbs will smell FANTASTIC!

So you wash them before drying them and lay them out to dry some before hanging?

The more water retaining herbs, like basil can be dehydrated in salt.

Thank you so much, this was so helpful. Blessings to you brother!

I’ve been doing this for years. I lived with my grandma and she taught me this method.

What would you do for chives?

I am struggling with starting lavender from seed. Do you have some critical knowledge to help me along with my challenge? Lol I intend to win! 🤗

It is very educational. Thank you sir.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!! LOVED this information.