DIY Herb Drying Rack
This DIY Herb Drying Rack is a simple effective and cute drying rack that you can put anywhere.
Each year I do my best to grow as many herbs as I possibly can. Herbs are a great alternative to growing veggies if you are limited in space or time. They make great bouquets for the countertop and help enhance our cooking experience in the kitchen. I use fresh herbs plucked straight from the garden throughout spring and summer. Something that I look forward to as the colder months die down. But currently, we are headed straight into the fall.
A time when those herbs need to be used up or stored. Otherwise, they will die off. What a waste that is when that happens. Lately, I have begun chopping several herb bouquets at a time. A lovely sight for the table or kitchen countertop. But now it’s time to get more serious about preserving those herbs. I don’t like using my dehydrator for this job as I find the herbs to be so beautiful when hung.
This simple DIY Herb Drying Rack is just perfect for hanging in the kitchen or pantry. Adding a bit of beauty and whimsy to the space. You can add any sort of herb bundles to dry and I love also adding flowers to dry on mine. Many of which I do so to save seeds for the springtime.
This DIY Herb Drying rack can hold quite a bit and is simple to make with just a few items that you can easily find.
What You Will Need To Make It
S Hooks (optional)
Directions
Start by cutting 36, 24″ pieces of yarn. You will need 9 per strap. To ensure the strap is sturdy enough we are going to braid the yarn for each strap.
Take 3 pieces of yarn, and bundle them so that they are each at the same length. Take the top portion (about 2 inches) from the top and knot them so that they are secured together. Do this with all 36 pieces of yarn. So that you have 12 sets of 3 knotted together.
When done, it is time to braid the straps. Take 3 of the bundles. Place the knotted portion under a bowl or something that can weigh it down and hold it in place. Braid the strap until you have about 2 inches of yarn left.
Tie a knot to secure the bottom of the braid. Continue making braids with all 12 sets until you have 4 braided 20-inch straps.
Take a loose end of each strap and tie them around the fabric/floral hoop (as shown). Trim off the excess pieces of string.
When all 4 straps are secured to the fabric/floral hoop, gather them in the center and make a knot.
This will help balance the hoop when hung. Take the remaining part of the straps at the top and braid them together. Knot the top portion.
Take an S hook or secure a piece of twine through the knot for hanging. To hang, screw a drill bit to where you would like your DIY Herb Drying Rack hung. Then hand screw the ceiling hook through.
You are now ready to hang your herb drying rack.
To secure herbs, you can tie them in bundles secured with twine. Then take the excess twine and use that to tie the herb bundles to the fabric/floral hoop. You can opt to use S hooks in place of tying the twine to the hoop.
Herbs That Dry Well
Mint-fresh or dried, mint is a great one to keep all year round and by drying it, you can. It dries well on a rack and works great for winter teas or is great when used in dishes like lamb or soups for an earthy flavor.
Lemon Balm – retains a true lemon flavor when dried.
Oregano-drying is simple and actually seems to enhance the flavor.
Thyme– is always a great one to have fresh or dried. Dries well and is easily stored.
Bay Leaf – a pantry staple that works just as well dried as it does fresh. Keeping a small bay tree is an excellent resource as you can dry the leaves to work during the winter season. Adding them into soups, stews, stocks etc.
Using Dried Vs Fresh Herbs
When using dried herbs for fresh or vice versa. It is a good idea to keep in mind that dried herbs are much stronger than fresh. You will need to adjust the amount needed for recipes if subbing out dried for fresh and increase if using fresh for dried. A good ratio is the 1 to 3 rule. So for every one part of dried, you’d use three parts fresh. Or for every three parts fresh, you’d only use one part dried.
Hanging vs. Dehydrator or Oven
Both methods for drying herbs are effective and will have the same outcome for your herbs. This means, that no matter which way you dry them, they will hold their flavors just the same. Now a few things to consider for whichever method you use. The first biggest factor is time. Sometimes we want to have a job and be done with it. That is where a dehydrator or oven will work better. Placing your herbs in either a dehydrator or a low oven will ensure your herbs are dried completely on the first day. Which then can be stored and put away all in the same day. Whereas hanging can take several days to completely dry most herbs and does require something to hang them from. Which is where this DIY Herb Drying Rack comes in. I opt to hang dry for not several reasons.
I find the hanging herbs to be beautiful hanging in my kitchen. Adding a natural, rustic element to the space it is hung in. So it is on double duty, acting as a herb drying rack and a piece of decor. The second reason I prefer this method is the heat from the oven is not worth for me during those last few overly hot days of summer. That just so happen to be when it is time to dry herbs. I also don’t like having to bring out my bulky dehydrator and have that on my counter for several hours. To me, it is more work and not worth it when I can simply use my DIY Herb Drying Rack.
Storing Dried Herbs
To store your freshly dried herbs, I find mason jars or jam jars to work best. Save old spaghetti and jam jars for things like this. They work well and don’t cost a penny extra to use. I like the fact that glass jars not only serve well to keep herbs well. But the display is much better than using a plastic ziplock bag for them. Although that would work well too. Also, consider saving old spice jars for your herbs. You can easily relabel them.
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Fabric/Floral Hoops Set of 2 – 14″ inch
DIY Herb Drying Rack
a simple drying rack for herbs made from yarn and a fabric/floral hoop
Materials
- yarn
- fabric/floral hoop 14 inch
- twine
- ceiling hook
Tools
- scissors
- drill with a bit (for screwing in ceiling hook)
Instructions
- Start by cutting 36, 24" pieces of yarn. You will need 9 per strap. To ensure the strap is sturdy enough we are going to braid the yarn for each strap.
- Take 3 pieces of yarn, and bundle them so that they are each at the same length.
- Take the top portion (about 2 inches) from the top and knot them so that they are secured together. Do this with all 36 pieces of yarn. So that you have 12 sets of 3 knotted together.
- When done, it is time to braid the straps. Take 3 of the bundles. Place the knotted portion under a bowl or something that can weigh it down and hold it in place.
- Braid the strap until you have about 2 inches of yarn left.
- Tie a know to secure the bottom of the braid.
- Continue making braids with all 12 sets until you have 4 braided 20-inch straps.
- Take a loose end of each strap and tie them around the fabric/floral hoop (as shown).
- When all 4 straps are secured to the fabric/floral hoop, gather them in the center and make a knot. This will help balance the hoop when hung.
- Take the remaining part of the straps at the top and braid them together. Knot the top portion.
- Take an S hook or secure a piece of twine through the knot for hanging.
- To hang, screw a drill bit to where you would like your DIY Herb Drying Rack hung. Then hand screw the ceiling hook through.
- You are now ready to hang your herb drying rack. To secure herbs, you can tie them in bundles secured with twine. Then take the excess twine and use that to tie the herb bundles to the fabric/floral hoop. You can opt to use S hooks in place of tying the twine to the hoop.
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