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If you have oregano in your garden, you can harvest it fresh and dry it yourself. Dried oregano is not only suitable for seasoning food, but also makes a pretty decorative element for your kitchen.
How to dry oregano
Immediately after harvesting, you should gather the individual stems into a small bundle and tie them together with a rubber band or string.
- The bundle of oregano is then placed in a shady, cool place where there is a breeze from time to time.
- Oregano dries best when hung upside down to dry, similar to bouquets of flowers. Wait about three weeks after hanging it up, as this is how long the drying process takes. You can tell that the oregano is completely dry when you can easily remove the leaves from the stems and crumble them between your fingers.
- Make sure that the bundle is completely dry before you bring it into the kitchen and use it. Damp spots quickly lead to mold growth.
- If you want to harvest and dry the oregano in the fall, it may be too cold and damp outside. In that case, you will need to dry the oregano in the oven.
Oregano can also be dried in the oven
However, the oven must not be set too hot. To capture the aroma well, you should dry the oregano bundles at around 35°C. Anything above 40°C should be avoided, as this is too hot and will destroy the aromas of the oregano.
- During the drying time, be sure to wedge a wooden spoon between the oven door and the oven itself to allow the steam to escape.
- Drying in the oven takes several hours.
- To store, strip the dried leaves from the stems and place them in a container. If possible, store the container in a dark place, as too much light will destroy the aroma of the dried oregano.
- Once dried, oregano will keep for about a year.
