Drying Herbs

I love fresh herbs.  Once while at the State Farmers' Market, I was able to get 3 huge bunches of fresh cilantro for $1.00.  I tried to tell the seller I only needed one bunch, but the language barrier prevented him from understanding me, so I just purchased all three bunches.  When I got home, I thought about how to store some of it.  Fresh cilantro will last about a week and a half if placed in a clean paper towel and then rolled up and stored in a plastic food storage baggie.  I received suggestions on my facebook page from freezing it for later to add to soups to making pesto.  All were great suggestions.  I love to add dried cilantro to guacamole, soup and salsa.  The taste is a little different but it's easier to keep it in the pantry.  Here's how I dried it:

Turn oven on 250 degrees F.  Rinse cilantro in water and pat dry or spin dry the extra moisture.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.  Arrange the fresh cilantro around the baking sheet and bake in the oven for a couple of hours.  Remember to turn and flip the cilantro with tongs about every 30 minutes.  Once it is completely dry, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Break the large clumps up and store the dried cilantro in plastic storage containers.  I don't know how long it will last, but if the container has lost it's fragrance, the herb will not flavor the dishes.

Incidentally, my homemade dried cilantro rehydrated in some guacamole I made recently and it tasted just like fresh cilantro, unlike the store bought dried cilantro.