Previously we have gone over drying herbs and plants. You can also freeze them. But someone asked me, what do you do to make sure that the plants are clean? Like, what happens if an animal pees on a plant? The good news is that UV light, aka the sun, will kill many things. However, you still want to wash your herbs so that they are clean of bugs and dirt. Here’s how to do it in four easy steps.
- Washing – I like to use cold water so as to not damage the plants. If I’m washing a plant that is less delicate, I will scrub it down with my hands to make sure all the dirt is off. This would be woody stems and roots. If you’re really worried, use a vegetable spray to make sure that it’s totally clean. You shouldn’t be worried about pesticides if you use my harvesting guidelines.
- Getting rid of dead leaves (Garbling) – At this point I will double check to make sure all the leaves and stems are to my liking. While I am gathering I will pick off some dead leaves, but not everything gets through this first process. While washing is where I catch all of the little damages that I missed while out collecting. You can also do this part after drying as a third check to make sure your harvest is to your liking.
- Get rid of excess moisture – I use a salad spinner will help dry the plants. Alternatively you can pat them dry. Make sure as much moisture is off of the plants to help avoid molding.
- Get ready to dry – This is where you put the plants in bundles or get them ready to put in the dehydrator. See the link above for instructions on how to freeze plants.
That is it for this article, four easy steps to get your plants ready for drying. Those steps are 1) Wash your herbs 2) Get rid of dead or damaged leaves 3) Get rid of excess moisture and 4) Get the plants ready to preserve in whatever way you will be using. Thanks for reading! I hope this helps you in your goal to become more natural in your healing and taking back your health.
