On 7/21/2008 6:40 PM, snagglepuss2k wrote:
whats the best way to dry or preserve herbs, i have a large bay tree
that i want to cut back but dont want to waste the leafs


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.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/