pagans only please!?

Question

how do i dry out my herbs, how can i do that we have no sunlight here right now so i need another way to do that can you help me please, thanks!
blessed be

Answer 1

DO NOT dry herbs in the sunlight!
DRYING
Always dry herbs as quickly as possible. Choose a warm, dry spot with good air flow. Avoid kitchens, where airborne grease will cling to plants. Choose a dry basement, spare room, barn or an airy closet. Darkness isn’t necessary, but it does help retain flavour in culinary herbs and colour in dried flowers. If plant material isn’t starting to dry in a few days, a little extra air circulation from a fan or air conditioner (set on “circulate,” not “cold”) can help. Just make sure the flow is gentle and indirect, and not too hot.

DRYING ON A FLAT SCREEN
A piece of screening, elevated so that air can flow under it, is excellent for drying small-stemmed plants such as thyme, flower heads such as camomile, flower petals such as roses, and the decorative leaves of scented geraniums or lady’s mantle. Larger-stemmed herbs, especially those being used for cooking, such as tarragon, can also be dried this way. Just strip the leaves from the stems first. Spread herbs or flowers in a single layer and cover them with a thin sheet of cheesecloth or paper towel to keep the dust away. Stir them daily, changing their position to make sure they dry evenly.

DRYING UPSIDE DOWN
Gathering stems together with elastic bands and suspending them with a piece of string from the ceiling or a clothes hanger is a common way of drying culinary and crafting herbs such as sage, rosemary and artemisias. Hanging herbs sometimes attract insects or dust particles. To avoid this, tie the bundles and slip them into paper bags before hanging them. Punch a few holes in the bags to encourage air flow. Keep the herb bundles small and loose; large, tight bundles may hinder air flow, distort the herb’s shape or encourage mould. Select four to six stems per bundle.

DRYING UPRIGHT
A great choice for everlastings—flowers or herbs with stiff stems, such as lavender and yarrow—is to dry them in empty dry vases, jars or tin cans (avoid plastic, which encourages mould). Don’t crowd the herbs. To keep them separate, fasten a piece of chicken wire over the top and poke the stems through the holes.

MACHINE DRYING
Oven drying must be done carefully. As with the screen method, the herbs are dried in a single layer. The trick is maintaining a low enough oven temperature (38°C/100°F) over two to six hours. Oven drying requires regular stirring and careful watching. If you begin to smell the herbs while they are in the oven, they are losing precious oils. A less labour-intensive option is a food dehydrator. Use the lowest setting and check the herbs often. Leafy herbs such as nettles and scented geraniums might dry in a few hours, while flower heads might take a day or two.

Herbs should be “cornflake crisp” when dry, which can take several weeks at room temperature (less with machine drying). Dried herbs should retain their colour. If they have turned brown or faded quite a bit, they were dried too rapidly or at too high a temperature and, in the case of culinary herbs, have lost a significant amount of flavour.

Avoid storing dried herbs in plastic bags or plastic containers—it invites mould and mildew. If you have room, you can leave delicate crafting herbs such as baby’s breath to hang. Otherwise, store herbs in clear, covered glass jars and keep them in a cool, dark place. Replace dried culinary herbs annually.

FREEZING
Many soft-leafed herbs freeze even better than they dry. These include basil, parsley, chives, cilantro, lovage, dill and chervil. Wash the herbs, run them through the salad spinner and slip them into plastic freezer bags. You may want to chop the herbs ahead of time if you’re going to use them as a garnish; otherwise, freeze them whole. They’ll crumble easily when frozen. In recipes, use one teaspoon of frozen herbs to half a teaspoon of dried. Fresh herbs can also be slipped into ice- cube trays, topped with water and frozen. Try blue borage flowers or sprigs of mint to garnish summertime drinks.

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Answer 2

24 hour method works pretty well. All you need is a large box fan (CLEAN), two bungee cord ties and 4 flat air vent filters.

Put a single thin layer of herbs on the top of three filters, stacking each filter on top of the others so you sandwich the herbs between them. Place the 4th filter on the top of the pile so it acts like a lid. Strap the filters to the box fan and turn it on high. After 12 hours, flip the filters so the bottom filter is now the top and let the fan work for another 12 hours. After its finished, you can harvest the herbs and store them. Not only will you dry the herbs fast but it carries the herb fragrances through your house while they're drying.

Answer 3

This is the method I use-
Cut the herbs with as long a stem as possible.
Get yourself a paper bag, either those little lunch bags, or big grocery bags.
Get yourself a stapler.
Put the herbs upside down with the cut end of the stems sticking out the top of the bag. Make sure the bag is big enough that the tops don't touch the bottom.
Staple the top of the bag closed with the stems included in the staple so that they hang upside down in the bag.
Throw the bag in the closet for a week.
You're golden!

Or, if you have hooks or anything sticking out of your walls or ceiling, take a bit of thread and tie the bottoms of the stems together, one bunch at each end of the string, then hang them over the hook with the string.

If you've already picked em, and they don't have nice long stems, cut open a paper bag and make a nice flat surface, then lay the leaves on it. Leave them for a couple days, then flip em. Should take about four or five days.

Drying in the sun or with heat can evaporate the essential oils making the herbs not as smelly as they should be.

Answer 4

Put them on old window screens, then place the screens in the rafters of you dwelling. Ever day or so turn the herbs over on the screens. If your in an apartment shelves will do in a pinch, just place blocks under the screens to allow a bit of air flow between. When it's crunchy it's ready to be stored away. All good things to your doorstep, Cat.

Answer 5

You asked for pagans only and alot of the people are saying blessing to you and such that does not sound paganistic to me. And why would you want pagans only to answer about herbs. Are they herbs or dope.

Answer 6

Hanging them upside down in a dry area of the house is good. Don't bind them too tightly though because it will take them longer to dry and I suggest using natural cotton string.

Answer 7

pagans only for herbs? herbs are used by many types of people.

Answer 8

I believe that craft shops have a product that you can lie them in. It's used for drying flowers. Check with a Treasure Island or Michaels or something.

Bright Blessings! :)

Answer 9

I hang mine upside down in a dry area in my house. BLESSED BE

Answer 10

Hang them upside-down in front of a fan?