July 10, 2021 (Updated July 2026)

Summer is such a busy time in the garden. There is constantly something to harvest, and it can get overwhelming come August when you've got tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers all ripe and needing to be preserved. If you're still on the fence about growing your own, I've got a whole post on why it's worth it.

Herbs and flowers are one of my favorites to harvest because you can pick them, throw them on the drying rack and come back a few days later when you are ready. No need to wash and sterilize equipment or boil water. Drying herbs is the easiest way to enter into food preservation, and if you're gardening here in the high desert, you've already got a head start. Our low humidity does a lot of the work for you.

Herbs and flowers are one of my favorites to harvest because you can pick them, throw them on the drying rack and come back a few days later when you are ready. No need to wash and sterilize equipment or boil water. Drying herbs is the easiest way to enter into food preservation!

Tips for Harvesting Herbs and Flowers:

1. Pick in the morning after the dew has had time to evaporate. This is when essential oil content in the leaves and flowers is at its peak, before the heat of the day starts to burn it off.
2. If the herbs are dusty, give them a quick and gentle rinse in cold water then pat them dry before putting them on your drying rack. Try not to soak them, too much water can invite mold before they dry. 
3. Place herbs in a ventilated place out of the sun. Come back when the leaves and stems are dry and crispy but not brittle, meaning they crumble easily between your fingers but don't turn to dust. This usually takes 3 to 5 days depending on the humidity of your drying area. Also, check the stems of the herbs, if the stems are still soft enough they don't snap when bent wait a few more days. 
   
4. Garble your herbs soon after they are dry so they don’t collect dust. As pretty as it is to leave a bundle of lavender buds hanging in bundle they will collect dust and cobwebs and then your work will be useless.
5. Once your herbs are dry and garbled, store them in glass jars with a tight fitting lid. Keep the jars somewhere out of direct light, like a cabinet or pantry shelf, since sunlight breaks down the oils that give your herbs their flavor and potency. Label each jar with the herb and the date you dried it. Most dried herbs hold their strength for 6 to 12 months, so a little labeling now saves you from guessing later.
6. Pro tip: before storing the jar away officially leave it overnight or several hours and check to make sure there is no condensation inside the jar, if there is your herbs still contain too much water and will mold in the jar. Let them dry in the jar another day and try it again. If there is no condensation you are good to store it on the shelf. 

Let me know in the comments below what you are harvesting? New to harvesting herbs or foraging? Check out my beginner guide to backyard edible plants, or if you're wondering what to plant next, these are the 10 herbs I think everyone should know. Have a gardener in your life who loves herbs? Send them a bar of "The Herbalist" soap!