From our perspective, timing is everything. Please harvest us just before we flower, when our essential oil concentration in our tiny leaves is at its peak. This is when our flavor and aroma are most potent. Choose a dry, sunny morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the intense midday sun. This ensures you capture our best qualities without excess moisture, which could lead to mold later. Use sharp, clean scissors to make clean cuts on our stems, which helps us heal and continue growing.
We appreciate a gentle touch. Please do not submerge our delicate leaves in water, as this can wash away our precious oils and make drying difficult. Instead, if we are dusty, gently wipe our stems and leaves with a slightly damp cloth or give us a very brief, soft shake in a bowl of water, then pat us dry immediately and thoroughly with a towel. Handle us carefully to prevent our leaves from bruising, which can cause us to lose flavor.
Our preferred method is slow, air-drying in a warm, dark, and well-ventilated space. This preserves our complex volatile oils. Gather a few of our stems together and tie them loosely at the base with string. Hang us upside down in a dark pantry, cupboard, or paper bag (with holes punched for air flow). The darkness protects our chlorophyll and color from degrading in the light. Avoid drying us in direct sunlight or near heat sources like ovens, as intense heat will cause our delicate essence to evaporate, leaving you with hay-like flavorless leaves.
We will tell you when we are ready. It typically takes one to two weeks. You will know the process is complete when our leaves feel crisp and crumble easily between your fingers, and our stems become brittle. Once fully dry, gently hold a stem by the top and run your fingers down its length to strip the dried leaves. They should come away easily. This method is far superior to pulling leaves from fresh stems, as it minimizes waste and effort.
To keep our captured summer essence intact for your winter dishes, store our crumbled leaves correctly. Place us in an airtight container, such as a dark glass jar or a tin, which protects us from our two greatest enemies: light and air. Both will cause our flavor and aroma to degrade and fade over time. Please label the container with the date. Store us in a cool, dark, and dry place, like a spice cupboard away from the stove. When stored properly, we can maintain our best quality for six months to a year.
