Drying Herbs

[897tgigvib]

My favorite purchased dehydrated goodies are dried Apricots

 

[nelson castro]

Keep herbs out of the light. It's best to store them in opaque containers in a cabinet or cupboard. Keep dried herbs away from any heat source. Both heat and light will shorten the herbs' lifespan.

 

[897tgigvib]

Has anyone here ever made things like lavender wands or herb sachets?

 

[canesisters]

I made some hot packs with rice and rosemary a while back. Easy to do, very soothing on aches and pains and they smell good.


eta: sorry - there I go again.... trying to highjack... sorry.

 

[thistlebloom]

Naw, you're not hijacking Cane, you're just conversing. Tell me how you made those hot packs. I foresee a lot of aches coming my way soon!

 

[897tgigvib]

Yea I'd like to know too!

be great for my toothache on my jaw, but another purpose could be...

...saving a seedling from a late frost, a hot pack inside a box over it...

 

[nelson castro]

Can you share with us. We really love to know.

 

[897tgigvib]

Cane, are those hot packs like little pillows? Seems my sister Laurie used to make them, wayback in the '70's. She also used herbs heated in water to steam for clearing sinuses and cleansing...

 

[canesisters]

Easy-peasy.
I stitched pieces of a pretty pillow case into tubes of various lengths. Then filled my largest mixing bowl with rice. I took a few handfuls of rosemary and trimmed the leaves off and dropped them into my handy-dandy little food chopper with a drop or two of olive oil. (WARNING... the oil or wax or whatever it is that makes rosemary smell so good is HARD to get out of the chopper!) Once they were minced up I mixed the rosemary with the dry rice and filled the tubes.
I have several that are about palm sized - great for lying over sore wrists or ankles or on the back of aching hands (also worked well when my TMJ was acting up). A couple that are longer and wider - great for sore legs or for soothing that 'jumpy leg' syndrome that likes to mess with my sleep. And one that is long enough to go behind my neck and over my shoulders.. aahhhhhhhh
Just pop them in the microwave till they are hot (and the kitchen smells good) and you're good to go. I've found that I tend to heat them a bit too much so I usually wrap them in a dish towel.

 

[897tgigvib]

Most microwaves use too many watts for my offline system. Would an oven work? Maybe set at 150?