In the past, before the days of advanced farming techniques and imported fruits and vegetables, drying herbs was one of the few ways to preserve the flavor of summer for coming winter months. Although it is usually far better to use fresh rather than dried herbs in cooking, this is normally only possible during summer. The next best option is to harvest and dry the herbs. As well as being used in cooking, dried herbs can also be used in pot pourri, as fillings for scented sachets and infused to make teas and tisanes.

Most herbs should be harvested just as they come into flower and before the seeds form, as they will be at their best then. Gather the herbs in the morning as soon as the dew has evaporated and before they begin to wilt in the heat of the day. Discard any old or discolored leaves.

Herbs need to be dried as quickly as possible in order to preserve their flavor and color. However drying them in direct sunlight will damage them. They can be dried in several different ways. Individual leaves can be placed on trays covered with paper towels and left in a warm, dry place away from direct sunlight, such as an airing cupboard.

Alternatively, heat the oven on its lowest setting and place the herbs inside to dry. Check the leaves regularly to make sure they do not burn.

One of the prettiest and more traditional ways to dry them is to pick herbs with fairly long stems, strip the lower leaves from the stems and groups them into bunches. Tie the stems together with a long length of string and hang the bunches upside down in a warm place to dry. The bunches look very attractive hanging in the kitchen above the stove. When the leaves are completely dry, strip them from the stalks and store them in screw top jars or cloth bags. Store in a dark place. Do not crumble the leaves until just before you want to use them as this will help preserve the flavor.

One of the quickest ways to dry herbs is to use the microwave. Strip the leaves from the stems and place them in a single layer on paper towels. Cook on HIGH for 1 minute, then turn the leaves over and cook for a further 1-1 1/2 minutes until they are completely dry.

Fresh herbs can also be frozen, although the majority of herbs become rather limp when thawed. Wash the herbs and dry them thoroughly. Tie them into small bunches and place in plastic bags. Seal the bags to make them airtight and place in the freezer. When required, the frozen bunches of herbs can be add directly to casseroles and soups. If you wish, herbs such as parsley can be crumbled while still frozen.

If you wish to dry herb flowers, you must pick them carefully to avoid damaging the petals. Choose flowers with long stems and tie them together in bunches. Hang them upside down in a warm place and leave to dry. If the flowers do not have long stems, place the flowers carefully on a wire cooling rack so the air can circulate around them, and leave in a warm, dry place.

To dry herb seeds, cut the seed heads from the plant just as they begin to turn brown. Place the seed heads in large paper bags and leave to dry in a warm room. As the seeds dry, they will fall out of the seed head to the bottom of the paper bag. Store the seeds in glass jars out of direct light.

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