I just figured out how to vacuum seal a reused jelly jar with the one piece lug top cap! I put the lid on the jar, but not screwed tight. I put the jar attachment over it, then placed both inside a baggie so it covered the sides. As I started to extract the air, the air got suctioned out of the baggie first, and that created a seal so it could work on the jar... kept going and the lug on the lid popped! Without the baggie covering the sides I was not getting suction, but once it removed the air in the baggie, it began sucking air out of the jar. I love that I can now reuse these jars to store things and use my canning jars for canning, since they are scarce these days.
Awesome video. You can also spread your herbs, citrus peel. etc. on a cookie sheet & set them inside your car on the dash board or rear window ~ facing the Sun. SOLAR DEHYDRATING !
Sun, what sun?! Just kidding, I know several have tried that. We do get the occasional sunny day and I should try it just to see how well it works for us. Yesterday was pretty nice after a week long deluge. I think today may be decent too so if I remember, I will try it :D
I've had really good results using paper bags for drying, which surprised me, and it keeps the dust off. It's especially good for my parsley and basil which always seem to fade and weaken by hanging in the open air. I suppose it could be from the excessive indirect sunlight in that room, and that maybe I don't get to them fast enough (I'm always worried they're not dry enough so I leave them a bit long, or even sometimes get busy and forget about them). But they seem to last safely for a good long while in the paper bags until I get around to processing and storing them.
Heidi, I just received my brake bleeder from Amazon. I am very excited to use it. It was inexpensive and even came with its own case. Thanks for listing it in your store.
Great idea if spraying with vinegar. All my plantain is where I’m afraid the dogs pee on 10:58 it. So I’m harvesting that today after the thunderstorm.THANKS ONCE AGAIN.
Haven’t been successful in growing nasturtiums this year. Try again next year. I cut the calendula flowers and echinacea flowers before drying and try to harvest after a rain storm so I don’t rinse.
Hi Heidi, What a great video. Thanks so much for sharing all this info about drying and storing herbs. Your selection is amazing!! And I want to share that I love love love using my pasta rack to dry my herbs. I am so happy I purchased one from your Etsy store. Mr. Rain makes such beautiful things!! Love, Mary ❤️😘❤️
I was looking for instructions on how to dehydrate fennel in an air fryer, and I came across your video - I just love your videos! If you ever see this, Heidi, would you borrow an air fryer (with racks not with a basin..hahahahaha) and do a video? Anyway, you are a blessing to us; thank you!!!
I do not even know who has one and have no plans to buy one so a video is very doubtful. As popular as those are right now, I am sure there is someone out there doing videos on dehydrating with one
Yes! Once they started, they just never stopped! Very unusual for this time of year. But we have sun today, and I hear we're going to have some nice weather this week. Yay! I guess the rain was a blessing after the drought and fires this summer :-)
Oh yes this is my favorite subject! Thanks for sharing this. I can’t wait to have as great of a collection as you do. But I am getting a good start especially with my ew dehydrator.
For tying the herbs, I start off with a loop of twine and then pass the loop through itself because as the herbs dry they shrink. This method works in a way that the tie keeps a tight hold of the herbs as they dry. Hope that makes sense. If a video would be helpful I can make one ;). Let me know!
I have tied herbs before but it is not the best way to dehydrate them in our humid conditions. Even after days of hanging, they never fully dry. Summer time its best for us to use electric dehydrators.
I use them ALL year long for many things but I also put grow and put up a lgreat amount of herbs. Yes, in the case of herbs, they really do not NEED to be vacuum sealed l like other dried foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, and more, I still do it because it just preserves their freshness for a longer period of time/
I just dehydrated my first batch of nasturtium leaves and a couple flowers from my plant yesterday. The leaves were dry FAST!!! I only do 95 degrees cause I’m a newb and am always EXTRA careful. I also did some marigold flowers. I read they can be good for skin as their calendula cousins just maybe not quite as potent. I also did some borage leaves. I am going to venture into making my own soap next weekend (we have a “celebration of life” thing for my brother this weekend that my sister is hosting). I wanna make some soap for Doug cause the plant he works in is dusty and dirty and hard on his skin I’ve noticed. Especially in this heat. It was 130 inside he said yesterday and he was sweat SOAKED all the way to the bone! LITERALLY I was able to wring it from his T-shirt! GRRRROSSSS! LOL That’s gotta suck but he absolutely LOVES the job. He’s so happy now a days. He’s only been here for what 4 months now? He said the owners and people are just good down to earth folks. Everyone just living, doing their jobs and no back biting! After 15 years at FedEx and their was NONE of that he’s happy. Plus he’s driving again for them. Just short city runs but he loves it!! BLAH BLAH BLAH boy do I everrrrrr digress! Hahahahaha MY POINT....was...drying the herbs to make him a good soap that’ll get him nice and clean without the garbage and maybe help with his skin some. I said a lot of crap to get to that huh. Hahahahaha Meh, you know me. Thank heavens your my mom! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA let me stop! I know these folks think I’m crazy. 🤪 TFS EVERYTHING! I wouldn’t be this brave or far along if not for you!!!!! In so many ways that YOU know and I won’t go into! I loves ya to the moon and back a bazillion times! Blessings always ~The Kid! 😂🤣😂❤️❤️❤️
130?! Wow, poor guy! So glad he loves his job though and having good people to work for makes ALL the difference, one can have a great job that is easy work but if management and coworkers are all jerks, it can be the most stressful job of all and take a serious toll on one's health. No crap there, I am glad you shared that with me :D
Rain Country OH EMMM GEEEEEE!!!! Guess what?!?!?! He came home happy as a clam yesterday! They’re making him a Safety Supervisor!! TWICE now he’s saved them on OSHA inspections. He’s always been “Mr. Safety,” lol. I’m teasing but it’s something he’s always taken very seriously on the job. The company he works for is one of few “Mom and pop” type cardboard companies in the US. They were just featured on PBS. They’re a smallish facility but BIG in the industry if that makes any sense at all? Anyway, his promotion won’t take effect until end of October but I’m sooooo happy for him. He is on cloud 9 and so loves this place. He loves all the management and even his coworkers. I mean there’s fussy bits but that’s what happens when a whole lot of testosterone fills a warehouse right? Hahahahaha 😂 I imagine a lot of grunting and snorting and peeing in corners! HAHAHAHAHA 😂😂 I’m teasing of course but had to tell ya. He can’t wait. He’s so excited and proud as it’s something near and dear to him. He literally seen a coworker killed on a tow motor years ago and he has been “Mr Safety,” since. Bless his heart. I’m so happy to see HIM happy!! Melts my heart. May be silly but it’s all I ever wanted for him and I’m soooo grateful he’s finding peace!!!!!!! Love ya bunches! ❤️
Morning Heidi. Great vid. Very informative. Truth about dust spiders & wet environment thanks again. Wow. Your nasturtium get huge. Mine are tiny in comparison.
@@RainCountryHomestead Many thanks for your quick response and valuable information. I love watching your videos but I need to put these into practice:)
I have a not of garden videos going back to 2016 but not one specifically about salads. Usually I am showing different garden areas and what is going on in them. While I do have certain sections that are all herbs, I also grow them along with my vegetables
It depends on what all I am growing and collect for each year. Here is the video I did on the blend for 2018, I have not mixed my greens from 2019 yet and the herbs I collected this year were for other purposes and I have so many greens dried up from previous years, I just did not bother doing so this year: ua-cam.com/video/6z8C7dWq4Ac/v-deo.html
Yes, we have looked into those but finding some the right shape and size is nearly impossible. Also, the cooling racks have much larger spaces than the stainless steel racks I have that we purchased locally.
yep, you are so right... we can absorb minerals through our skin, like zinc, which is a super infection fighter! There are many others, and when we didn't wash our food and add wax, we were a lot healthier!! :0)
Being grounded by the earth also helps reduce inflammation, and it takes all of the extra dirty energy out of our bodies. having your bare feet and hands in the earth is really beneficial in a scientific way not just in a Mother Earth sorta way. :)
Thanks, I've been dehydrating everything that doesn't move due to your inspiration, but it's good to have it all in one place. I looked on Amazon for dehydrator trays, and they do sell Excalibur trays separately, which looks like what you have. BUT...your $10 is a great price; these are $15 each *if* you buy 6; $26 for one!!! :o I have an old plastic/electric Snackmaster (I think it's the one that's made by Nesco now), but I want something for use with the woodstove. I've scrounged some bedrails hoping to talk dh into making Mr. Rain's rack :).and I think I'll look for something at thrift stores; maybe baking racks though the spaces are way big. Hmmm....
O that is right, I did see those Excalibur trays but two things where the problem, the size and the price. Because he had built the rack to the dimension of the trays we got, his initial build pattern was made to fit those. One can find cooling racks too but the problem with most of those is they mesh is so much larger so drying smaller things on them won't work.
Hi ya Heidi! Back a 2nd time here, I have a spasific question, but rewatching this brought on a few more questions on the herbs. How many hrs after the start of dehydrating do I start to check dryness of herbs? Do u rotate the trays during dehydration? Now for why I came here again, I get quite a few free eggs from x 2 x, I looked to see if u had a video on dehydrating eggs ( I’ve never heard u mention it but know u freeze them) would u mind advising me on dehydrating eggs? Thank u
I only freeze my eggs, have not dehydrated them yet. You can scramble and cook them first for easy dehydration but then they are only good to use for omelet making. OurHalfAcreHomestead has a video on dehydrated raw eggs I saw years ago. The process is a bit different and takes much longer. For drying herbs, you should check every 1-2 hours and rotating the trays is helpful, I typically will watch the top tray on mine and remove it once those herbs are fully dry and then do the same with the other trays as the day goes along. However, I do rotate them depending on what I am drying and how well they are drying
You really have inspired me this year Heidi and i want to thank you for that. I did get a dehydrator and have done potatoes, zucchini and jalapenos so far and borrowed a pressure canner from my mother-in-law and pressure canned for my first time, potatoes. I did one batch hot pack and one cold pack.. I did however lose some water out of the jars while processing them. i read about the causes for this and will be working on it. But it says it wont cause them to spoil just discolor. It was my 1st time so i can only get better right? lol. Have you ever had this happen ?
O yes, I have had this happen a few times, I believe it is from over packing? I know I am often guilty of that one. However, none of the food this has happened to has gone bad but yes, anything that sits above the liquid will turn grey
Brenda Weaver I've done that too. Mom Gramma the Aunts Great-Gramma & Great Aunts all agreed that it usually happens when we rush or just don't want to do one more canner full. That always told me that was the meal we were supposed to eat not can. Lolol. We always laughed about it!!!
Heidi, how long do you store your herbs? I see some of the jars were dated 2016 in another fairly recent video. I just started my herb bed this year. Its amazing how prolific the herbs grow and even from seed! Just loving these videos. Keep em coming! TFS 💕 PS I hand my herbs in paper bags tied with string. Then I squeeze the bags with the dried herbs to catch the leaves from dropping off the stems. Works like a charm.
I try to use them up with in two years. As long as the jar stays sealed and the herbs are well dried, they will last for a very long time though one would have to worry about light degrading them but these stay in a dark room or closet all the time
Hi! All your videos and the way you present your information is so captivating and inspiring and I feel there isn't enough time in the day to learn all you have to offer! A question relating to this video - Once the herbs are dehydrated and into the jars, do the jars need sealed specifically? Do you need special jars for preservation? Thanks for your help :)
Yes, I dry the flowers every spring and have a bunch on the dehydrator right now. Here is a video on dandelion and its benefits where I talk about all parts: ua-cam.com/video/Yq4WnsBTfZ0/v-deo.html
Great information Heidi! I don't have a dehydrator. I've been dehydrating parsley in my gas oven with it setting just below the warm setting. Is that too hot for them?
Should you dehydrate dandelion flowers immediately after picking them? Same temp 105? I tried drying them the next day after picking them at 115 and they got a little "puffy". Thank you!! Love and prayers from the Catskill Mountains of NY! 🙏💖🐓☀️🌻
Yes, immediately after picking but you can go 110° as faster dehydrating does help them hold color and shape better but too hot forces them to go to seed
Great video I was wondering what was the best temperature thanks for the tip ! Herbs like calendula, plantain high moisture ones .. do you run the dehydrator all day like 8 hours or does it take longer to get them dry dry ?
Best temp for herbs is 105°, or even lower for the more delicate ones. The amount of time will vary from herb to herb, dehydrator to dehydrator, temp setting, humidity in your area.
I hang my herbs in the garage from a pole we've tied up. It's cool in there and they dry quickly. Tie in smaller bunches if you want dried faster. You can also put a paper bag over then like lunch bags if you're concerned about dust or spiders. I find that hasn't been an issue. Thanks Heidi for all the great info. I'm a new subscriber as of today. Sarah from Living Traditions Homestead referenced you on a video in the last couple days.
Dust is a big problem here because of the wood stove and moisture is the big problem out in our garage and even in the greenhouse, slowing down the drying process. Just one of the issues we deal with in Rain Country where we can get up to 160" of rainfall in a year! haha! Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy our content! :D
Hey pretty lady! Thanks for your sharing your wealth of knowledge! I wanted to ask about the light exposure, is this a problem if I don't have a cabinet to put the jars in? I was think of using mylar bags, what are your thoughts! Thanks so much!
A lot of the original seed I got from rareseeds.com. I now sell seeds to many of my herbs on my store but am sold out of a quite a few. I still have our two most popular ones plus a few more though
You can find it in the description box below the video. Be sure to click on SHOW MORE air the little grey arrow just under the video screen to open it up
Not at all a dumb question. I do not vacuum seal any jars I am working through. Also, I have had herbs from years back that came unsealed and when I tested them against a more recent vacuum sealed jar, I found little to no difference in flavor and aroma
I received dried herbs from my mother when she passed. They are 6 plus years old and in mason jars. They are dry and still smell okay. My question is are they still good?
Not sure if this is what you are looking for but I do have this older video plus I just shot a new video on making a medicinal extract using catnip, it should be out late next week: ua-cam.com/video/1lZPIVs0ZEg/v-deo.html
It makes a decent tea, I like it anyway, I have never tried it in cooking, I have a hard time thinking what it would taste good in but for the medicinal aspects of it, tea, extract, tincture, or fresh and raw are best
The link is within the video, note where I point up to the corner when I mention it. For future reference, here is a video I did on how to use the iCards: ua-cam.com/video/gjXlMpfV1vc/v-deo.html and here is the video of the dehydrator: ua-cam.com/video/5AmaK9vnG9k/v-deo.html
@@JaniceCrowell They only get about 1/3 of the rain we get here so they would actually not have all the same challenges we have here. We are about 200 miles west of Seattle
It really depends on how long you plan to store them. I do not bother to vacuum seal the ones I am working through but the jars I put up for long term I vacuum seal.
HI I WANT TO STORE THEM IN CUPBOARD UNTIL I NEED THEM OR LONGER WILL THEY GET SOFT AND NOT CRISP IN JARS WITH TIGHT LIDS OR SHOULD I FREEZE WHOLE OR GRIND THEM CAN U HELP ME CAUSE I HAVE SO MANY DRYED I DONT WANT TO LOSE THEM
Hi ya Heidi! I’m glad I saw this video, u gave a lot of great info! Question; bugs, I wouldn’t think u check each flower for them, I found that to be a pain, it’s added protein after all, but I’m thinking they’d ruin ferments/vinegars. What do u do about them ??? About the screens that u dehydrate fruits and meats on, have u thought of buying them on request to resell to ur viewers? No expectations on shipping in a few days, knowing u don’t go to town often, but when u do, then pick up quantity requested. Instead of snail mail, it’d be snail shipping 😉, what do u think? Thank u
I do not check for bugs, they all seem to vacate by the time I need to use the flowers for anything, as far as the racks,it would cost $10 each to purchase locally, that is a total of $40 for a set of four, plus the cost of the rack itself, the time and resources put into it, they work out to be at least $200 each and shipping would be about another $20. We decided not to market them because most cannot afford to pay for the time and materials involved in making them ourselves
Heidi great video thank you so much for sharing!!!!! Could you give us the name of the store you get the racks from maybe they would ship them to us😊. Have a blessed day🌻🐝🌻
It is just the local town grocery store so I doubt that. Now though it may be hard to find those particular racks, one can also use cooling racks that can be found just about anywhere but the dehydrator build would need to fit the dimensions of whatever rack you choose
All properly preserved goods can have an indefinite shelf life. "Expiration" dates on storer bought goods mean very little and when it comes to shelf stable foods, they never mean they are spoiled by or past that point. Please see this: ua-cam.com/video/BIwnNKJQTko/v-deo.html
It does not take long for me but I cannot give you specifics for several reasons, I do not keep track of hours, I simply check on a regular basis, the heat setting you use will determine how long as will your humidity
Hi Heidi, quick question if you see this. I have the cosori and i tried dehydrating herbs and previously it worked perfectly took max 10h at 95 now I had it run for over 24h and they are still like if i just put the herbs in. Got any idea why this is? Could it be the humidity ?
Yes, if it is very humid where you are, that would be an issue and I recommend raising the temperature to 110° which is the standard setting I use for herbs
Loooove ur videos and you. Stay blessed. Can u please tell or link s video if already done, on how to make rosemary tea and thyme tea and other herbal teas with dried herbs. Thanks
I do have a few herb tea videos out there, here are a couple: Marshmallow mint: ua-cam.com/video/jGbMeD_unwM/v-deo.html Rose Petal: ua-cam.com/video/t8OX_9K7300/v-deo.html
I tried to message you on Facebook but it wouldn’t go through. I saw the link to get the dehydrator you have, but I can’t find the clear thing that goes on top. *the tray I would set my wheat grains on so they don’t fall through.* What is it called?
Thanks alot for this video! I have a question though, some of my plants get moldy when drying in the dehydrator set at 95°C..is that normal? And also, another thing I noticed is some leaves dry faster than other leaves of the same plant..which I found it odd aswell. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong
I dry my herbs as 105° F. Are you sure you mean C? if you are drying them at 95° C that is over 200° F and that is way too high. If you are drying at 95° F then I recommend turning it up another 10°. Yes, it is normal for some leaves to dry faster than others. There are several reasons for this one being the thickness of the individual leaves, if they are too close or stacked on other leaves. or even how well your dehydrator air is circulating
@@RainCountryHomestead I'm sorry, I meant 35°C!! Its the minimum temperature of my dehydrator, but dont know if its normal for some of my plants to mold..maybe I should higher the temperature a bit..and yes maybe its also the circulation of the air from my dehydrator that is not that good.. Thanks for responding! 😊
@@patriciamata7602 If they are molding, they are not drying fast enough so it is best to turn the heat up. going with a higher heat will not damage them. So going with 40° C will be safe and dry them quicker. For some I would even go up to 43° or even 46° depending on the thickness and what it is
Oh ha ha. It really depends on the herbs I don’t have a whole lot of problem with slugs on my herbs but I do have a video for a bug spray recipe made specifically for using on plants all natural and made out of homegrown herbs
This is an old video but I believe I talk about some of its uses: ua-cam.com/video/1lZPIVs0ZEg/v-deo.html And then there is this: ua-cam.com/video/sfUGjDg5zMM/v-deo.html And this: ua-cam.com/video/PzZkayfyyAg/v-deo.html
Then you will want to watch your herbs closely or keep them as far from the heat source as you can because those kind are usually set at a higher heat for vegetables and meats
I just figured out how to vacuum seal a reused jelly jar with the one piece lug top cap! I put the lid on the jar, but not screwed tight. I put the jar attachment over it, then placed both inside a baggie so it covered the sides. As I started to extract the air, the air got suctioned out of the baggie first, and that created a seal so it could work on the jar... kept going and the lug on the lid popped! Without the baggie covering the sides I was not getting suction, but once it removed the air in the baggie, it began sucking air out of the jar. I love that I can now reuse these jars to store things and use my canning jars for canning, since they are scarce these days.
Awesome video. You can also spread your herbs, citrus peel. etc. on a cookie sheet & set them inside your car on the dash board or rear window ~ facing the Sun. SOLAR DEHYDRATING !
Sun, what sun?! Just kidding, I know several have tried that. We do get the occasional sunny day and I should try it just to see how well it works for us. Yesterday was pretty nice after a week long deluge. I think today may be decent too so if I remember, I will try it :D
I've had really good results using paper bags for drying, which surprised me, and it keeps the dust off. It's especially good for my parsley and basil which always seem to fade and weaken by hanging in the open air. I suppose it could be from the excessive indirect sunlight in that room, and that maybe I don't get to them fast enough (I'm always worried they're not dry enough so I leave them a bit long, or even sometimes get busy and forget about them). But they seem to last safely for a good long while in the paper bags until I get around to processing and storing them.
Yep, that method works great for those who have low humidity, unlike us.
Heidi, I just received my brake bleeder from Amazon. I am very excited to use it. It was inexpensive and even came with its own case. Thanks for listing it in your store.
Great idea if spraying with vinegar. All my plantain is where I’m afraid the dogs pee on 10:58 it. So I’m harvesting that today after the thunderstorm.THANKS ONCE AGAIN.
Haven’t been successful in growing nasturtiums this year. Try again next year. I cut the calendula flowers and echinacea flowers before drying and try to harvest after a rain storm so I don’t rinse.
Appreciate you Heidi! I believe in getting skin contact with everything but stinging nettle lol
I have a mesh air dryer for my herbs to dry...
Oh thank you very much !! Your awesome !
Thanks, that's quite refreshing! We also do the hanging methods.
Hi Heidi, God is good all the time hallelujah ❤❤❤
Thank you and God bless you too .
I love your video. Very informative
Hi Heidi, What a great video. Thanks so much for sharing all this info about drying and storing herbs. Your selection is amazing!! And I want to share that I love love love using my pasta rack to dry my herbs. I am so happy I purchased one from your Etsy store. Mr. Rain makes such beautiful things!! Love, Mary ❤️😘❤️
That is so great, thank you Mary!
Hey Heidi got the brake bleeder from Amazon put up 24 pints of rice and pasta worked great thanks love your vids
Thank you so much Rain Country. This is so awesome. I am learning alot.
Im glad I found you. Very informative. I really appreciate that. I'm going to watch more now
Thank you Vickie!
thank you.. its not just a pretty and smell good plant anymore😂❤❤❤. my first round is in the dehydrator❤
My nasturtiums are slowing down, so I'll have to dehydrate them! Loved everything in this video! Thank you!
Great video, it is a busy time of year saving seeds and canning ! Have a great weekend.
Thanks Heidi! I'm drying calendula this week.
Very thorough video, thanks so much!
Thank you Gwen :)
I was looking for instructions on how to dehydrate fennel in an air fryer, and I came across your video - I just love your videos! If you ever see this, Heidi, would you borrow an air fryer (with racks not with a basin..hahahahaha) and do a video? Anyway, you are a blessing to us; thank you!!!
I do not even know who has one and have no plans to buy one so a video is very doubtful. As popular as those are right now, I am sure there is someone out there doing videos on dehydrating with one
Great video, thank you! Now that the rains are here I have a whole bunch of herbs and things I need to bring in and dehydrate.
Man, have they returned with a vengeance here! Though the rains return in the fall, they usually do not get this heavy until about November.
Yes! Once they started, they just never stopped! Very unusual for this time of year. But we have sun today, and I hear we're going to have some nice weather this week. Yay! I guess the rain was a blessing after the drought and fires this summer :-)
Thank you for video. I was wondering how ro harvest all my herbs and then you come into my text. Thanks
Great video. Now I know that I do not have to wash my herbs and then dry them and then dehydrate them thank you for the time saving tips!
You are so very welcome!
Oh yes this is my favorite subject! Thanks for sharing this. I can’t wait to have as great of a collection as you do. But I am getting a good start especially with my ew dehydrator.
Thank you - this was very helpful! You are a wealth of information - I so appreciate your channel. Blessings!
:)
For tying the herbs, I start off with a loop of twine and then pass the loop through itself because as the herbs dry they shrink. This method works in a way that the tie keeps a tight hold of the herbs as they dry. Hope that makes sense. If a video would be helpful I can make one ;). Let me know!
I have tied herbs before but it is not the best way to dehydrate them in our humid conditions. Even after days of hanging, they never fully dry. Summer time its best for us to use electric dehydrators.
Great information! I'm planning to start growing herbs this year. Looking forward to homegrown herbs.
lovely video, thanks tons for sharing such great info, and for Wandas channel also
I'd love to see your pantry storage!!
You can see most of it here: ua-cam.com/video/EyLcrJxDIcQ/v-deo.html
I normally start using my herbs for teas and cooking right away, so I have never found need to seal them tightly.
I use them ALL year long for many things but I also put grow and put up a lgreat amount of herbs. Yes, in the case of herbs, they really do not NEED to be vacuum sealed l like other dried foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, and more, I still do it because it just preserves their freshness for a longer period of time/
I just dehydrated my first batch of nasturtium leaves and a couple flowers from my plant yesterday. The leaves were dry FAST!!! I only do 95 degrees cause I’m a newb and am always EXTRA careful. I also did some marigold flowers. I read they can be good for skin as their calendula cousins just maybe not quite as potent. I also did some borage leaves. I am going to venture into making my own soap next weekend (we have a “celebration of life” thing for my brother this weekend that my sister is hosting). I wanna make some soap for Doug cause the plant he works in is dusty and dirty and hard on his skin I’ve noticed. Especially in this heat. It was 130 inside he said yesterday and he was sweat SOAKED all the way to the bone! LITERALLY I was able to wring it from his T-shirt! GRRRROSSSS! LOL That’s gotta suck but he absolutely LOVES the job. He’s so happy now a days. He’s only been here for what 4 months now? He said the owners and people are just good down to earth folks. Everyone just living, doing their jobs and no back biting! After 15 years at FedEx and their was NONE of that he’s happy. Plus he’s driving again for them. Just short city runs but he loves it!! BLAH BLAH BLAH boy do I everrrrrr digress! Hahahahaha MY POINT....was...drying the herbs to make him a good soap that’ll get him nice and clean without the garbage and maybe help with his skin some. I said a lot of crap to get to that huh. Hahahahaha Meh, you know me. Thank heavens your my mom! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA let me stop! I know these folks think I’m crazy. 🤪 TFS EVERYTHING! I wouldn’t be this brave or far along if not for you!!!!! In so many ways that YOU know and I won’t go into! I loves ya to the moon and back a bazillion times! Blessings always ~The Kid! 😂🤣😂❤️❤️❤️
130?! Wow, poor guy! So glad he loves his job though and having good people to work for makes ALL the difference, one can have a great job that is easy work but if management and coworkers are all jerks, it can be the most stressful job of all and take a serious toll on one's health.
No crap there, I am glad you shared that with me :D
Rain Country OH EMMM GEEEEEE!!!! Guess what?!?!?! He came home happy as a clam yesterday! They’re making him a Safety Supervisor!! TWICE now he’s saved them on OSHA inspections. He’s always been “Mr. Safety,” lol. I’m teasing but it’s something he’s always taken very seriously on the job. The company he works for is one of few “Mom and pop” type cardboard companies in the US. They were just featured on PBS. They’re a smallish facility but BIG in the industry if that makes any sense at all? Anyway, his promotion won’t take effect until end of October but I’m sooooo happy for him. He is on cloud 9 and so loves this place. He loves all the management and even his coworkers. I mean there’s fussy bits but that’s what happens when a whole lot of testosterone fills a warehouse right? Hahahahaha 😂 I imagine a lot of grunting and snorting and peeing in corners! HAHAHAHAHA 😂😂 I’m teasing of course but had to tell ya. He can’t wait. He’s so excited and proud as it’s something near and dear to him. He literally seen a coworker killed on a tow motor years ago and he has been “Mr Safety,” since. Bless his heart. I’m so happy to see HIM happy!! Melts my heart. May be silly but it’s all I ever wanted for him and I’m soooo grateful he’s finding peace!!!!!!! Love ya bunches! ❤️
O Lisa, that is so wonderful!! Praise the Lord!
Morning Heidi. Great vid. Very informative. Truth about dust spiders & wet environment thanks again. Wow. Your nasturtium get huge. Mine are tiny in comparison.
ur kitchen is soooo lovely
Hello Heidi, do these herbs have to be washed before dehydrating them? Thank you for such informative videos!!
I rarely wash them but if they happen to be dirty, I will simply rinse them
@@RainCountryHomestead Many thanks for your quick response and valuable information. I love watching your videos but I need to put these into practice:)
Great job being resourceful ❣️👌🏻
Do you have a video on an edible flower garden for herbs and salads?
I have a not of garden videos going back to 2016 but not one specifically about salads. Usually I am showing different garden areas and what is going on in them. While I do have certain sections that are all herbs, I also grow them along with my vegetables
I know you probably have a video on your green mix that you add to meals ... what do you use? What has the most nutritional value
It depends on what all I am growing and collect for each year. Here is the video I did on the blend for 2018, I have not mixed my greens from 2019 yet and the herbs I collected this year were for other purposes and I have so many greens dried up from previous years, I just did not bother doing so this year: ua-cam.com/video/6z8C7dWq4Ac/v-deo.html
For the racks you can use - Stainless Steel Cooling Rack
Yes, we have looked into those but finding some the right shape and size is nearly impossible. Also, the cooling racks have much larger spaces than the stainless steel racks I have that we purchased locally.
yep, you are so right... we can absorb minerals through our skin, like zinc, which is a super infection fighter! There are many others, and when we didn't wash our food and add wax, we were a lot healthier!! :0)
Being grounded by the earth also helps reduce inflammation, and it takes all of the extra dirty energy out of our bodies. having your bare feet and hands in the earth is really beneficial in a scientific way not just in a Mother Earth sorta way. :)
Thanks, I've been dehydrating everything that doesn't move due to your inspiration, but it's good to have it all in one place. I looked on Amazon for dehydrator trays, and they do sell Excalibur trays separately, which looks like what you have. BUT...your $10 is a great price; these are $15 each *if* you buy 6; $26 for one!!! :o I have an old plastic/electric Snackmaster (I think it's the one that's made by Nesco now), but I want something for use with the woodstove. I've scrounged some bedrails hoping to talk dh into making Mr. Rain's rack :).and I think I'll look for something at thrift stores; maybe baking racks though the spaces are way big. Hmmm....
O that is right, I did see those Excalibur trays but two things where the problem, the size and the price. Because he had built the rack to the dimension of the trays we got, his initial build pattern was made to fit those. One can find cooling racks too but the problem with most of those is they mesh is so much larger so drying smaller things on them won't work.
Hi ya Heidi! Back a 2nd time here, I have a spasific question, but rewatching this brought on a few more questions on the herbs. How many hrs after the start of dehydrating do I start to check dryness of herbs? Do u rotate the trays during dehydration? Now for why I came here again, I get quite a few free eggs from x 2 x, I looked to see if u had a video on dehydrating eggs ( I’ve never heard u mention it but know u freeze them) would u mind advising me on dehydrating eggs? Thank u
I only freeze my eggs, have not dehydrated them yet. You can scramble and cook them first for easy dehydration but then they are only good to use for omelet making. OurHalfAcreHomestead has a video on dehydrated raw eggs I saw years ago. The process is a bit different and takes much longer.
For drying herbs, you should check every 1-2 hours and rotating the trays is helpful, I typically will watch the top tray on mine and remove it once those herbs are fully dry and then do the same with the other trays as the day goes along. However, I do rotate them depending on what I am drying and how well they are drying
You really have inspired me this year Heidi and i want to thank you for that. I did get a dehydrator and have done potatoes, zucchini and jalapenos so far and borrowed a pressure canner from my mother-in-law and pressure canned for my first time, potatoes. I did one batch hot pack and one cold pack.. I did however lose some water out of the jars while processing them. i read about the causes for this and will be working on it. But it says it wont cause them to spoil just discolor. It was my 1st time so i can only get better right? lol. Have you ever had this happen ?
O yes, I have had this happen a few times, I believe it is from over packing? I know I am often guilty of that one. However, none of the food this has happened to has gone bad but yes, anything that sits above the liquid will turn grey
Thanks Heidi!
Brenda Weaver I've done that too. Mom Gramma the Aunts Great-Gramma & Great Aunts all agreed that it usually happens when we rush or just don't want to do one more canner full. That always told me that was the meal we were supposed to eat not can. Lolol. We always laughed about it!!!
thanks Edie! Great to know I have company in this. lol I can only get better haha
Brenda Weaver ywp. Just remember it's just part of canning.
Heidi, how long do you store your herbs? I see some of the jars were dated 2016 in another fairly recent video. I just started my herb bed this year. Its amazing how prolific the herbs grow and even from seed! Just loving these videos. Keep em coming! TFS 💕 PS I hand my herbs in paper bags tied with string. Then I squeeze the bags with the dried herbs to catch the leaves from dropping off the stems. Works like a charm.
I try to use them up with in two years. As long as the jar stays sealed and the herbs are well dried, they will last for a very long time though one would have to worry about light degrading them but these stay in a dark room or closet all the time
@lavenderpatch would you consider swapping or selling bits of your seeds from your herbs?
Just the video I was waiting for. Love your videos.
:D
Hi! All your videos and the way you present your information is so captivating and inspiring and I feel there isn't enough time in the day to learn all you have to offer!
A question relating to this video - Once the herbs are dehydrated and into the jars, do the jars need sealed specifically? Do you need special jars for preservation? Thanks for your help :)
Most dried herbs do not _need_ to be vacuum sealed, I just do to help preserve their quality for long term
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you :)
Have you ever tried drying dandelion blossoms? I’ve dried the leaves and I have dried the roots in oven
Yes, I dry the flowers every spring and have a bunch on the dehydrator right now. Here is a video on dandelion and its benefits where I talk about all parts: ua-cam.com/video/Yq4WnsBTfZ0/v-deo.html
You have such great skin
Great information Heidi! I don't have a dehydrator. I've been dehydrating parsley in my gas oven with it setting just below the warm setting. Is that too hot for them?
Hard to say how hot that is without a thermometer but my guess is it is fine. Do you leave the door cracked open a bit?
Thank you so much
Should you dehydrate dandelion flowers immediately after picking them? Same temp 105? I tried drying them the next day after picking them at 115 and they got a little "puffy". Thank you!! Love and prayers from the Catskill Mountains of NY! 🙏💖🐓☀️🌻
Yes, immediately after picking but you can go 110° as faster dehydrating does help them hold color and shape better but too hot forces them to go to seed
@RainCountryHomestead Thank You!!!
Great video I was wondering what was the best temperature thanks for the tip !
Herbs like calendula, plantain high moisture ones .. do you run the dehydrator all day like 8 hours or does it take longer to get them dry dry ?
Best temp for herbs is 105°, or even lower for the more delicate ones. The amount of time will vary from herb to herb, dehydrator to dehydrator, temp setting, humidity in your area.
Great video so interesting. Thank you
I hang my herbs in the garage from a pole we've tied up. It's cool in there and they dry quickly. Tie in smaller bunches if you want dried faster. You can also put a paper bag over then like lunch bags if you're concerned about dust or spiders. I find that hasn't been an issue. Thanks Heidi for all the great info. I'm a new subscriber as of today. Sarah from Living Traditions Homestead referenced you on a video in the last couple days.
Dust is a big problem here because of the wood stove and moisture is the big problem out in our garage and even in the greenhouse, slowing down the drying process. Just one of the issues we deal with in Rain Country where we can get up to 160" of rainfall in a year! haha! Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy our content! :D
Hey pretty lady! Thanks for your sharing your wealth of knowledge! I wanted to ask about the light exposure, is this a problem if I don't have a cabinet to put the jars in? I was think of using mylar bags, what are your thoughts! Thanks so much!
Mylar bags are a good idea and can be easier to pack away or you can also consider laying a cloth or blanket over the jars
Rain Country thanks pretty lady so much!
Hi Heidi.....how will I know the timing/temperature to dehydrate herbs and leaves?
Times will vary for herbs so you have to check on the periodically. I find 110° to be a good temperature for herbs
Where do you get your herbs from? You have a lot of herbs that I’ve never heard of. I’d love to try growing these. I live in Oregon. Thx
A lot of the original seed I got from rareseeds.com. I now sell seeds to many of my herbs on my store but am sold out of a quite a few. I still have our two most popular ones plus a few more though
What is the link to your store?
You can find it in the description box below the video. Be sure to click on SHOW MORE air the little grey arrow just under the video screen to open it up
If I’m still using the herbs regularly, do I still need to vacuum seal? Sorry this maybe dumb question lol
Not at all a dumb question. I do not vacuum seal any jars I am working through. Also, I have had herbs from years back that came unsealed and when I tested them against a more recent vacuum sealed jar, I found little to no difference in flavor and aroma
I received dried herbs from my mother when she passed. They are 6 plus years old and in mason jars. They are dry and still smell okay. My question is are they still good?
O yes, dried herbs, as long as they stay dry, they do not spoil
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you so much
If it's not too much to ask, can you do a video on the uses of catnip? I have a plant but I don't know how to use it.
Thanks for sharing! ❤
Not sure if this is what you are looking for but I do have this older video plus I just shot a new video on making a medicinal extract using catnip, it should be out late next week: ua-cam.com/video/1lZPIVs0ZEg/v-deo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead, yes this is a perfect start. Can you use it as a tea or in food? Sorry for bugging you, I'm really excited to give it a try. 😊
It makes a decent tea, I like it anyway, I have never tried it in cooking, I have a hard time thinking what it would taste good in but for the medicinal aspects of it, tea, extract, tincture, or fresh and raw are best
@@RainCountryHomestead
Good to know, thank you!
Did you say Mr. Rain did a video about the stove top dehydrator? I searched but couldn't find one. If he did one can you share the link? Thanks!
The link is within the video, note where I point up to the corner when I mention it. For future reference, here is a video I did on how to use the iCards: ua-cam.com/video/gjXlMpfV1vc/v-deo.html
and here is the video of the dehydrator: ua-cam.com/video/5AmaK9vnG9k/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video 😉
Awesome! Where is rain country?
Western Washington, on the Peninsula not far from the rain forest
Rain Country my sister and mom are in Seattle area! But they would not garden to save their lives! :)
@@JaniceCrowell They only get about 1/3 of the rain we get here so they would actually not have all the same challenges we have here. We are about 200 miles west of Seattle
How long do the last? And do you do anything to help the longevity in jar?
I only vacuum seal. As long as they are stored in a cool, dark area, they can last for many years
Hi when u dry flowers and herbs and spices to store in jars do the have to be vacuum seal the lids or can i put them in jar tight lid
It really depends on how long you plan to store them. I do not bother to vacuum seal the ones I am working through but the jars I put up for long term I vacuum seal.
HI I WANT TO STORE THEM IN CUPBOARD UNTIL I NEED THEM OR LONGER WILL THEY GET SOFT AND NOT CRISP IN JARS WITH TIGHT LIDS OR SHOULD I FREEZE WHOLE OR GRIND THEM CAN U HELP ME CAUSE I HAVE SO MANY DRYED I DONT WANT TO LOSE THEM
Hi ya Heidi! I’m glad I saw this video, u gave a lot of great info! Question; bugs, I wouldn’t think u check each flower for them, I found that to be a pain, it’s added protein after all, but I’m thinking they’d ruin ferments/vinegars. What do u do about them ??? About the screens that u dehydrate fruits and meats on, have u thought of buying them on request to resell to ur viewers? No expectations on shipping in a few days, knowing u don’t go to town often, but when u do, then pick up quantity requested. Instead of snail mail, it’d be snail shipping 😉, what do u think? Thank u
I do not check for bugs, they all seem to vacate by the time I need to use the flowers for anything, as far as the racks,it would cost $10 each to purchase locally, that is a total of $40 for a set of four, plus the cost of the rack itself, the time and resources put into it, they work out to be at least $200 each and shipping would be about another $20. We decided not to market them because most cannot afford to pay for the time and materials involved in making them ourselves
I have an oven with a dehydrator function. If I use that, what type of rack would you recommend putting the herbs on inside the oven?
I often use a stoneware baking sheet for small things I am concerned about falling through when drying on or near my wood stove
Heidi great video thank you so much for sharing!!!!! Could you give us the name of the store you get the racks from maybe they would ship them to us😊. Have a blessed day🌻🐝🌻
It is just the local town grocery store so I doubt that. Now though it may be hard to find those particular racks, one can also use cooling racks that can be found just about anywhere but the dehydrator build would need to fit the dimensions of whatever rack you choose
Where is rain country - I'm in WA State we are washed a ton😄
We are on the Peninsula of WA state, the heart of the Twilight Zone! ha
What is the shelf life of these teas at the stores they always have an expiration Date. I’m thinking they don’t expire they are just dry items
All properly preserved goods can have an indefinite shelf life. "Expiration" dates on storer bought goods mean very little and when it comes to shelf stable foods, they never mean they are spoiled by or past that point. Please see this: ua-cam.com/video/BIwnNKJQTko/v-deo.html
Can I dehydrate different herbs at the same time like basil and another herb? (On different trays, of course).
Yes, of course, I do it all the time, sometimes even on the same tray if I only have a small amount of each
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you. I wasn’t sure if “flavors” or the fragrances would combine. 😜
There is a green garbage bins across the street and have stolen refrigerator and stove racks that people are throwing away. Score!!!!!!
How long would you say fresh rosemary takes to dry in A dehydrator? Hour wise?
It does not take long for me but I cannot give you specifics for several reasons, I do not keep track of hours, I simply check on a regular basis, the heat setting you use will determine how long as will your humidity
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you!
Hi Heidi, quick question if you see this. I have the cosori and i tried dehydrating herbs and previously it worked perfectly took max 10h at 95 now I had it run for over 24h and they are still like if i just put the herbs in. Got any idea why this is? Could it be the humidity ?
Yes, if it is very humid where you are, that would be an issue and I recommend raising the temperature to 110° which is the standard setting I use for herbs
@@RainCountryHomestead great thank you for the quick response. Ill try at 110.
Loooove ur videos and you. Stay blessed.
Can u please tell or link s video if already done, on how to make rosemary tea and thyme tea and other herbal teas with dried herbs.
Thanks
I do have a few herb tea videos out there, here are a couple:
Marshmallow mint: ua-cam.com/video/jGbMeD_unwM/v-deo.html
Rose Petal: ua-cam.com/video/t8OX_9K7300/v-deo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead ❤
@@RainCountryHomestead it is most helpful.❤
I tried to message you on Facebook but it wouldn’t go through. I saw the link to get the dehydrator you have, but I can’t find the clear thing that goes on top. *the tray I would set my wheat grains on so they don’t fall through.* What is it called?
Fruit roll trays: amzn.to/2xOPKSa
Thanks alot for this video! I have a question though, some of my plants get moldy when drying in the dehydrator set at 95°C..is that normal? And also, another thing I noticed is some leaves dry faster than other leaves of the same plant..which I found it odd aswell. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong
I dry my herbs as 105° F. Are you sure you mean C? if you are drying them at 95° C that is over 200° F and that is way too high.
If you are drying at 95° F then I recommend turning it up another 10°.
Yes, it is normal for some leaves to dry faster than others. There are several reasons for this one being the thickness of the individual leaves, if they are too close or stacked on other leaves. or even how well your dehydrator air is circulating
@@RainCountryHomestead I'm sorry, I meant 35°C!! Its the minimum temperature of my dehydrator, but dont know if its normal for some of my plants to mold..maybe I should higher the temperature a bit..and yes maybe its also the circulation of the air from my dehydrator that is not that good..
Thanks for responding! 😊
@@patriciamata7602 If they are molding, they are not drying fast enough so it is best to turn the heat up. going with a higher heat will not damage them. So going with 40° C will be safe and dry them quicker. For some I would even go up to 43° or even 46° depending on the thickness and what it is
@@RainCountryHomestead I'll do that next time to see if the mold still appears. Thanks alot 😊
How long will it last after the herb dehydrated we can still consume it?
dehydrated herbs will last for years stored in jars. Never had them go bad but they can start to lose flavor after a few years
@@RainCountryHomestead Thanks
I have a cheap dehydrator and it only has one temperature, 165 degrees. Am I losing the medicinal properties?
Yes, for herbs, that is way too high. That is actually pretty high even for fruits and vegetables.
My dehydrater has the lowest setting at 113 degrees 😞
As long as you keep an eye on the herbs you are drying, removing them from the heat as soon as they are dry, it will be fine
Mixing different herbs on the same rack doesn’t transfer smell or taste between them?
I have never had a problem. Now if you are talking about onions or garlic with other things, then there may be an issue
What do you use nasturtium for?
Here is the video I did on nasturtiums: ua-cam.com/video/IvdyI5asX7E/v-deo.html
Do you wash them all 1st?
I answer that here: ua-cam.com/video/WQEqvlXfN_0/v-deo.html
Are speaking in terms of farenheit or celcius?
I always speak in Fahrenheit as I am from America but when I remember, I do try to add Celsius in text
And all the time, God , is good !!!
What do you do to protect from pests?
The vacuum sealing in jars is sufficient
@@RainCountryHomestead excuse me, I meant while growing them, prior to harvest.
Oh ha ha. It really depends on the herbs I don’t have a whole lot of problem with slugs on my herbs but I do have a video for a bug spray recipe made specifically for using on plants all natural and made out of homegrown herbs
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you 😊
Why are you saving catnip?
This is an old video but I believe I talk about some of its uses: ua-cam.com/video/1lZPIVs0ZEg/v-deo.html
And then there is this: ua-cam.com/video/sfUGjDg5zMM/v-deo.html
And this: ua-cam.com/video/PzZkayfyyAg/v-deo.html
My dehydrator has no dial for Temp only a turn on off button
Then you will want to watch your herbs closely or keep them as far from the heat source as you can because those kind are usually set at a higher heat for vegetables and meats
Storing ?
What exactly is your question?
@@RainCountryHomesteadsorry , I didn't catch how you store them...bags/jars ..
I am guessing you did not watch the whole video, I show how I store them in jars
@@RainCountryHomestead I thought I did but I will go back and watch again .. thank you!