How to Dry Herbs
on Oct 27, 2021, Updated Aug 19, 2025
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Drying herbs the old-school way, just like my grandma taught me. I love sticking to tradition and making as much as I can from scratch. No matter how many fancy tools are out there, I never want to lose touch with my roots and upbringing. That’s why I wanted to share this simple method to dry any herb: basil, thyme, oregano, mint, you name it! It’s a beautiful way to enjoy aromatic, homemade dried herbs 🌿 for months. Nothing store-bought comes close to the flavor and fragrance of homemade. Just a heads-up: dried herbs are about four times stronger than fresh, so a little goes a long way in cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Tutorial on How to Dry Herbs
This basic technique for drying herbs can be used for any fresh herbs. I love to dry parsley, oregano, basil, mint, thyme, and rosemary. This is such an excellent way to avoid food waste when the summer garden is bursting with fresh herbs! There’s no fancy equipment necessary and very little hands-on time. You can preserve the goodness of summer ☀️ and enjoy those beautiful flavors all year long.
Best Herbs for Drying
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Basil
- Mint
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
Nonna’s Tip 🌿
Hang the herbs upside down, away from direct sunlight, in a cool room.
Variations and Substitutions for Drying Herbs
- If you don’t have an area in your house away from direct sunlight, try cutting a hole and placing a 🛍️ paper bag on top of the herbs.
- Use whatever herbs you love and have an abundance of: basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary or dill.
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
- Add your favorite dried herbs to this viral Cottage Cheese Flatbread (Viral).
- Use dried parsley in my delicious 🥗 Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe.
- Dry oregano shines in my fresh 🍅 Greek Feta Salad.
How to Use Dried Herbs
- Homemade Teas: Use dried herbs, such as mint or lavender, to make homemade tea blends. Soak a teaspoon of the dried herbs in a cup of boiling water, and let steep until aromatic. Strain out the herbs and enjoy.
- Spice Blends and Salt Rubs: Combine your favorite dried herbs into spice or salt blends, such as a thyme-rosemary-parsley blend that can be combined with olive oil or butter and used to flavor roasted chicken or vegetables.
- Salad Dressings: Use dried herbs to add flavor to homemade salad dressings, whether a simple herb vinaigrette or a homemade ranch.
- Gifts: Homemade dried herbs make a special gift, especially if you grew the herbs yourself. I like to package them in small mason jars for gifting.
Common Questions
You can use this method to dry thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, mint, parsley, sage, dill, or cilantro.
Yes, if the herbs are dirty or have been treated with pesticides, rinse them gently and allow them to air dry completely before bundling.
The herbs feel crisp to the touch and crumble easily when fully dried.
You can tape the twine to the wall or use a hanger or a clothes drying rack to hang the herb bundles.
Store the dried herbs in an airtight container, such as a small mason jar, in a cool, dark place to preserve their flavor. They’ll last up to 6 months.
If you’re replacing fresh herbs with dried, you want to use about one-quarter as much. So if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oregano, you would use 1/4 cup dried oregano.
Cilantro and chives do not maintain much flavor when dried. Some people dislike how basil and mint loose a lot of their vibrant color when dried, but I still enjoy the flavor.
Any location that is cool, dark, and avoids direct sunlight on the herbs, such as inside a kitchen cabinet or a clean closet space (that is not dusty).
Usually 10 to 14 days.
When herbs are hung upside down, it allows the oils in the herbs’ stems to move into the oils, and maintain fragrance and flavor.
How to Dry Herbs
Equipment
Instructions
- Cut the herbs into pieces of approximately the same length. If necessary, rinse them and let them air dry completely.
- Make thin bundles and securely tie the bottom with twine, leaving some excess twine for hanging the bundles.
- Hang the bundles upside down on a curtain rod (or even tape the twine to your wall) and let the herbs dry out for 10 to 14 days.
- After the herbs are completely dry, remove the twine. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter, then run your hand down each herb stem to remove the leaves.
- Discard any tough stems. Optionally, you can use your hands to break the dried herb leaves into smaller pieces. Store the dried herbs in mason jars. Store in a cool dark place and they will last for 6 months. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Notes
- Labels: Add a piece of tape or a sticky label to the outside of each jar and write the type of herb plus the date they were dried.
- Gifting: Homemade dried herbs make a lovely gift. Add some ribbon or butcher’s twine and tie a bow around each jar.
- Storage: Dried herbs maintain their flavor and texture best when stored in a tightly sealed container, in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or inside a cabinet. Do not store in the fridge. Do not attempt to make dried herbs during humid weather.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!