Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / July 2008

I rinse the herbs.  Then I lay them out in a single layer on paper
towels on top of my refrigerator.  For bay, give them about 6 weeks.

However, you generally use only 1-2 bay leaves at a time when cooking.
I have a bay to a 12-inch flower pot; it's about 18 inches tall (pruned
often to keep it from outgrowing the ability of its constrained roots to
supply it with water and nutrients).  I pick fresh bay leaves whenever I
want to use them.  (The same with rosemary, oregano, sage, tarragon,
peppermint, and thyme, all of which are in my garden.)

Fresh herbs generally have better flavor.  On the other hand, I prefer
dried spices.  Somehow, it seems to my tongue that herbs lose some
flavor while drying while spices get stronger while drying.  Since basil
and dill are summer annuals, I need to dry them if I'm going to use them
in the winter.

I haven't done bay, but many other herbs.  zap them in the microwave spread
out on a paper towel.  I've done herbs the slow way, but the microwave does
a more thorough job, especially during humid summer weather and you avoid
mold.

Just pick the leafs off the branch and dry on paper towels.

They keep the bug eggs from hatching, actually.  So, it breaks up the
life cycle of pests.  I put one in all my grains, flour etc. You never
know what you may bring home from the store.