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Some fresh herbs seem to retain their flavor better than others when dried; for example, dried parsley has very little flavor, but dried tarragon tastes reasonably close to fresh tarragon.

Which other herbs can be dried successfully without losing too much flavor?

3
  • What do you mean by "best"?
    – Pops
    Jul 25, 2010 at 1:55
  • 1
    I'd imagine he means that they retain their flavour.
    – ceejayoz
    Jul 25, 2010 at 2:37
  • Thank you CeeJayoz: I do mean retain their flavour (essence)!!
    – AttilaNYC
    Jul 25, 2010 at 15:40

4 Answers 4

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Tarragon, basil, oregano, thyme, savory, and sage are the ones that I'm most inclined to use in their dried form. Generally the more resinous and strongly scented they are fresh, the better they'll be in dry form.

Rosemary will hold its flavor dry but unless you're going to grind the dry product it's like eating pine needles. I prefer fresh rosemary instead.

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  • From my experience, basil is one of the worst. I prefer to keep it in the freezer or cook it as pesto.
    – mouviciel
    Sep 16, 2010 at 14:12
  • Grinding rosemary isn't that big a deal, I just pour some into the palm of one hand and then rub it with the other palm.
    – Benjol
    Feb 16, 2011 at 8:43
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Lemongrass is a terrific-yielding herb that grows in abundance and doesn't take up much room when drying. Basically chop at the stock, wrap with rope and hang upside down in your basement (as long as it's dry down there). It's dried uses are mostly for broths unless you ground it.

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I have had success with drying Sage, by hanging it by picking from the stem, hanging upside down for a month or so in a warm dry place and then picking the leaves and putting in a jar.

It seemed to dry well (without mould) and retain a lot of flavour when used.

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I prefer to use dried oregano and bay leaves, almost everything else is nicer fresh.

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