I had to cut some side branches off the sage and rosemary bushes in the garden. I know it’s not exactly the right time now, but these guys were really just getting too big 🙂 I seem to be physically just not able to just throw away this aromatic, fragrant goodness so I dried them for further use in the kitchen.

I dry herbs as well as other ingredients in my trusty old food dehydrator (that isn’t even sold anymore) – herbs namely at a temperature of 35 – 40°C (95 – 104°F). The dehydrator’s manual says you can even go up to 52°C (126°F), but I’ve read (and I find that too) that a more careful dehydration results in more even drying and more aroma.

It takes several hours until done and you have to check every now and then to see how far things have proceeded, they’re ready when the they’re crumbly to the touch but not completely colorless. Afterwards, store the results in an airtight container sitting in a dark and cool place, they’ll keep for as long as the store bought ones.