I harvest and dry herbs alot of different herbs. Some herbs I like to/have to use the dehydrator for and some I don't. I find lemon balm and the mints turn out the best for me air-dried. I find I just can't set the heat low enough for them. But maybe you'll have different results. :)

FataMorgana

ps....I find doing this in a porch works well especially with stuff like hot peppers. The air gets rather painful in the house with the really potent hot peppers!

When I dry herbs I leave the leaves on the stems, it's much easier to handle and I don't loose any leaves through the mesh. Once the leaves are dry all you have to do is take your finger and thumb at the base of the stem and strip off the leaves. I store my dried herbs in canning jars, out of the light of course. I have my dehydrator in the garage, mostly because it's big and noisy, and I dry all of my herbs in the dehydrator. If you like lemony herbs you must try lemon verbena. Have fun, and don't be afraid to mix the herbs for combinations.

Thaks y'all. =) Please lead me along the correct path here. I am not currently picking enough (IMO) to dehydrate. I pick 15-20 leaves (Chocolate Mint this past time...yummy!), wash them off, dry for 10-15 minutes in between paper towels, then stick in a Ziploc bag folded over yet open. That a good method? How long will they last like this?

Peace - Steve

Depends on too many things, to give an acurate timetable. Various molds are the most likely to give problems with washed leaves. Posible longer storage as unwashed.

Depending on what you are using the leaves for it would probably be better to just pick, wash, and use. 15-20 leaves are not much to use/store for current use unless you only have access to plants one day a week.

You might experiment with some of the vegetable keeper bags or containers that are on the market.

Ok, cool...I meant to check on it last night, since I haven't used it yet. It's no big deal if it went bad already though, as the plant is growing like mad & i'll soon have more.

Definitely don't wash if not using immediately.

Since I don't use any chemicals or even organic pesticides in the garden, I don't wash at all before dehydrating. Bush off any obvious debris. Remove any really dirty leaves, ones with slug slime, etc. Dehydrate. The remaining little bits of dust just fall off when dry.

For best flavor, dry or use immediately.

FataMorgana

I find that freezing certain herbs retains the flavor better, especially basil and parsley. For basil, I chop it and mix with a little olive oil. I use a muffin tin for the little tiny muffins to freeze the mixture. Each individual "muffin" is about the right size for what I need. When frozen, I pop them out and put them in a freezer baggie. Do the same with parsley. I also find that freezing hot peppers makes them better to use in winter salsas. They are almost like fresh. Just pop those in a freezer baggie without blanching and take out what I need throughout the winter. I do dry peppers also. I have an electric smoker and find it very useful for drying peppers (and the left over smokiness gives them a nice flavor!)

Oooo...smoker. =) I bet you make some Chipotle's, don't you? That's the main reason i'm growing Jalapeno's this year.

I did do some chipotle's last year! And have jalepenos planted again they were so good. We have a SmokinTex electric smoker which is so much nicer than tending to a wood smoker which we used to do. 150 degrees with pecan wood for about 24-36 hours!