Tis the season to dry herbs…

It is best to harvest the herbs and flowers early in the morning, after the dew dries. Try to avoid harvesting during the heat of the day.

You can hang stems of herbs (e.g. thyme, oregano) upside down and let them dry naturally. If you will use them within a few months, you can leave them on the stem and peel off how many leaves you want when cooking. Or, you can peel all the leaves off and store them in a jar, in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, moisture, and heat for up to a year.

You can harvest annual herbs (basil) up until frost, however stop harvesting the perennials (lavender) in late August so as not to promote new plant growth too late in the season.

If you are harvesting flowers, they will have natural oils, so you may want to let them dry on a piece of paper. The paper will absorb some of the oils. It’s best to harvest herb flower in their bud stage, when they have their most intense oil concentration and flavor.

From 21^st Century Science and Health, “God is the life or intelligence which forms and preserves the individuality, consciousness, and identity of the universe, of people, and of animals.”