Dehydrate Thyme

I am working on making my own spices for my spice rack. I got tired of spending quite a few dollars for a small jar, only to get it home and find it is stale with no flavor. You just don’t know how long it has been sitting on the store shelf, let alone the warehouse where it was made. By the time you buy it in the store, it could be 2 years old. Time to dehydrate thyme.

Thyme For A Few Facts

Ancient Egyptians used thyme as part of their embalming recipe. The Greeks used it because of its aromatic smell. They liked to use it in baths or incense in temples.

Thyme is a member of the mint family. It’s closely related to Oregano. It’s a perennial. It can tolerate droughts and can survive deep freezes. It thrives in hot, sunny area in well-drained soil. This hearty herb grows wild in mountain highlands.

It is found in popular spice blends like Bouquet Garni, Herb de Province.

Thyme retains its flavor after drying.

Thyme to dry

A bunch of fresh thyme. Go through and remove any bad leaves and stems. Then rinse the leaves and drain the excess water. If you want you can pat dry with paper towels.

Next, place the stems on the tray. I’m using the leather tray to keep the small leaves from falling through the holes of the mesh screen while drying.

I dehydrate at 110 degrees for  12-14 hours.

My dehydrator is a NESCO FD-60 Snack Master Express Food Dehydrator.

The thyme will be brittle when dry. Check for moisture. If you see any moisture, dry it a little longer.

Lastly, I place my dried thyme in a mason jar for long-term storage. I fill my spice jars with what I need or think I will use. That way I have a supply of dried thyme when I need it. It is much cheaper than buying jars at the store for $5-6.00. Then I only use a little bit and let the rest go stale. That’s if it isn’t already stale!

I use a Seal a Meal vacuum sealer with the Food Saver vacuum lid regular and wide mouth accessory.

What dishes do you use thyme in?