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Vinegar, Pickles, and Pickling: Herbs

To Dry Herbs.-Herbs should be gathered in dry weather, carefully picked over and dried as quickly as possible, either in a slow oven or under a hotbed sash. They should be spread out thin on sheets of blotting paper and turned occasionally. Fresh herbs are, of course, to be preferred, but as they are not obtainable in winter it is necessary to preserve them by drying.

The season at which herbs are best fit to be preserved by drying varies with different species. Orange flowers, elder flowers, parsley and chervil in May, June, and July; burnet and tarragon in June, July, and August; knotted marjoram and mint in July; summer savory, July and August; basil, winter savory, and lemon thyme, the end of July and August.

The aromatic herbs must not be exposed to too great heat, as otherwise the essential oils which give them their flavor will be volatilized. After being dried, the herbs should be screened through a large sieve to remove dust and other impurities, the stems removed, and the leaves stored in glass bottles. All of the above herbs will be found useful condiments in cookery, and several of them have medicinal qualities. These and many others can also be obtained of druggists and other dealers. To Gather Roots. - Most medicinal and other roots should be gathered in the spring and are, as a rule, better in the fresh than in the dry state. To dry them it is only necessary to brush off the dust with a dry brush, rinse the roots in cold water, string them together and expose them to the heat of the sun or in a slow oven until bone dry.