Drying Lavender

[Stacy]

Hello all, looking for some help from an experienced herb guru...

I just harvested a bunch of lavender from my garden and I am currently oven drying it (170f door propped open a little). My question is what part of the lavender do I use?

If I plan to infuse oil with it should I just keep it whole and combine it with oil?

I ask because it seems as though you only buy the flowers, and not the leaves, but if it's just cosmetic and the leaves have lots of herbal goodness, I don't want to waste them!.

 

[Dorymae]

Get it out of the oven!! 170 degrees is way too hot for herbs if you want to preserve any of the essential oil which is a part of the plant.

The highest temp you want is 110 and that is considered high. Ideally you want to dry them in 85-90 degrees at low humidity.

 

[Stacy]

That's what I get for listening to Google!

Thanks

 

[Dorymae]

Once they are dried - yes you can use the stems and leaves in an oil infusion- just grind it all up. You will strain the bits out anyway to use the oil. You can always set aside some of the flowers if you want decoration but remember that they will discolor to brown once they are exposed to caustic soap.

Edited to add for flowers you can tie them at the bottom of the stems and hang the whole bunch up upside down to dry them in the warmest room you have that gets air circulation if you don't have a dehydrator. They will take a week or two to dry but it works just as well even if it does take a bit longer.

 

[Dahila]

I dry my herbs the way Dorymae,(for the last 35years or so) just hang them in my basement which is very clean and dry, after week or two the herbs are dried and ready to use. Then infuse them but I would infuse only flowers...