Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, so you are just in time to start drying herbs for the holidays. Freshly dried herbs make delicious meals and it’s easy to do at home. Baskets provide the perfect structure for drying so go to Goodwill to see what you can find.

I found a dog bed that was perfect for both dried herbs and flowers!

What you’ll need:

- Basket from Goodwill
- Shears or clippers
- String
- Nails
- Thumbpacks
- Herbs to dry

Once you’ve found a basket with a fun pattern, take it home and remove the sides (use shears), so you have a flat piece. Remove some of the outer material so that you have inch long sticks protruding.

Tie a length of twine to two of these sticks near the top, so that you can hang the basket on the wall.

Next select the herbs you want to dry. Note that sage, thyme, summer savory, dill, bay leaves, oregano, rosemary and marjoram are best suited for air-drying.

Basil, tarragon, lemon balm and the mint, however, have softer leaves with a high moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly. An oven, or a dehydrator will work better for these.

Chives should be frozen.

Once you’ve selected your herbs (from the farmer’s market, grocery store, or your own backyard), remove their leaves at the bottom of the stalk and wrap the bundle tightly with twine or a rubber band. Then suspend them upside down from the spokes on the outside of the basket, or use thumbtacks to secure them.  Hanging them uspidedown will keep their stalks straight and make the herbs easier to manage once dried. 

When the herbs become crumbly they are ready for storage. It’s best not to crush the leaves because larger pieces will retain more of their flavor. But, search Goodwill for glassware containers to show off your beautifully dried herbs. 

All of your Thanksgiving favorites will be more flavorful and you will have a beautiful display of dried flowers and herbs to use for decoration too!  Shop at Goodwill to make this Thanksgiving memorable and enjoy getting ready for the holidays.