Homemade Herb Drier and a Simple Herb Oil Infuser

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Building A Homemade Herb Drier


A very simple and effective herb drier can be made at home. The parts used are not critical - just use whatever you have available. I've been using mine for over 2 years now with good results.

My choice of parts were easy - an empty red plastic Folgers coffee can from my kitchen trash, an old Tracfone charger, and a cooling fan from a dead laptop. I cut a 2 inch hole in the lid to hotglue the fan over; I reamed out 1/4 inch holes around the bottom of the can about a 1/2 inch above the base.

Herbs are placed into the canister loosely and the lid closed securely with the fan running constantly until the herbs are dry. Different herbs have different drying times, so, learn by doing. I dry anything that will fit into the canister loosely, such as Wormwood, Mint, Honeysuckle, etc. After the herbs are dry you can store them in tins, bags, or whatever.



Building A Simple Herb Oil Infuser


My choice of materials are: a clear Pyrex 2 quart pot with a lid, a 1 quart of cold water, and a 1/2 pint of corn oil. I chop and bruise an ounce of the fresh herb of my desire and place it in the bottom of the pot. Next, I pour the water over the herbs making sure that they are covered completely.

At this point, slowly pour the oil into the pot, cover with the lid, and place it on a hot burner and bring to a low boil.

Watch as the oil changes color and the herb appears to cook down. When this happens turn off the heat and allow to cool with the lid on.

After cooled, the oil can be carefully skimmed off with a soup spoon and bottled for use. Throw away the spent herb and water when finished.

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