Savory is a total game-changer in the kitchen, adding a lovely peppery kick to hearty dishes. During the summer months, you can pluck fresh Summer Savory or Winter Savory (also known as Mountain Savory) whenever you need it. But if you want to keep that homegrown flavor going all through the winter, drying your Winter Savory is definitely the way to go.
Harvesting Savory
Before you can get to drying, you’ve got to master the harvest. Timing is everything here because it determines just how punchy that peppery flavor will be. If you snip the stems right before the plant flowers, the leaves are packed with the highest concentration of essential oils. That said, if your savory is already showing off its pale purple blooms, don’t worry—you can still harvest it! The flavor will just be a bit milder, which is actually perfect if you find the pre-bloom herb a little too intense. Pro tip: the oil content peaks at different times of day, so try to harvest your herbs in the late morning on a warm, sunny day for the best results.
Grab a sharp pair of garden shears or a knife to get the job done. For Winter Savory, just cut the stems back by about half. If you’re growing Summer Savory, you can cut it much closer to the ground.
How to Dry Savory
You can harvest and use fresh savory leaves from the first spring shoots all the way into autumn. For anything you can’t use right away, you can preserve the harvest by drying it or freezing it. Here’s the best way to dry your herbs:
- First, gently clean the savory, but avoid washing it with water if possible.
- Bundle the stems together into small bunches and tie them with twine.
- Hang the bunches upside down in a breezy spot that stays around 70-75°F (20-25°C).
- You’ll know it’s ready when the leaves crumble easily between your fingers and the stems snap.
- If you’re in a hurry, you can use your oven.
- Lay the stems out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and dry them for a few hours at 100°F (40°C). Keep the oven door cracked slightly to let the moisture escape.
- Once dry and cooled, strip the leaves from the stems and store them in airtight glass jars in a dark place.
If you have a food dehydrator, that works great too! Just spread the clean stems out on the drying racks, making sure they aren’t crowded, and set it to 100°F (40°C). After a few hours, check if the leaves crumble easily. Once they’re done, strip the leaves, let them cool, and pop them into jars. Dried savory will stay flavorful for at least a year if you keep it in a cool, dark, and airtight spot. When you’re ready to cook, just use it exactly like you would the fresh stuff!
