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Drying thyme is a simple way to preserve this delicious pantry staple! Learn how to make this dried thyme recipe in a food dehydrator, in the oven, air drying, or in the microwave.
Dried thyme is an incredibly versatile herb for home cooks.
Whether you are making grilled feta stuffed tomatoes, easy sausage stuffing, or Instant Pot French onion soup, thyme packs so much flavor into lots of fantastic dishes.
Drying your own thyme is both easy and affordable, and I’ll show you how.
Thyme leaves are so teeny tiny and it would be next to impossible to remove them all prior to drying. Leaving the leaves on the stems makes everything much easier.
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
- Avoid the temptation to increase the heat on the dehydrator or oven to speed up the process. Low and slow wins in the race on this one.
- If your thyme stems are very “fluffy” and stick up over the dehydrator tray, place an empty dehydrator tray over the top tray to create a buffer between the thyme and the dehydrator fan.
- The thyme is ready when individual stems break or snap instead of bending. They will feel like tiny dried crispy leaves when ready.
- Store in an air-tight container like a mason jar for up to a year.
- Dried herbs are 2-3 times more powerful than fresh. I always start with a 1:3 ratio when I am using dried herbs.
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Dried Thyme Recipe (4 Ways)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
Instructions
How to Dehydrate Thyme in a Dehydrator
- Rinse the stems in a bowl of water.1 bunch fresh thyme
- Carefully dry stems in a salad spinner or between layers of a tea towel/flour sack.
- Arrange the stems on the drying racks so that they aren’t touching.
- Dry thyme at 95˚F, rotating the trays every 45-60 minutes.
- The thyme is ready when it is dry to the touch and has the consistency of dried leaves (~1-3 hours).
- Once cooled, remove leaves from the stems.
- Allow leaves to fully cool before crushing or storing whole in an air-tight container.
How to Dry Thyme in the Oven
- Place clean thyme stems on baking drying racks set inside baking sheets. Don't let the stems overlap or touch.
- Place in the oven at the lowest temperature possible (usually 140-170˚F) and prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Bake for 2-3 hours. Check every 45 minutes, rotating trays and making sure stems are not touching.
How to Air Dry Thyme
- Suspend small amounts of thyme stems in a paper bag with holes punched in it and close the top of the bag with string, yarn, or a rubber band.
- Hang in a place where it can get air circulation.
- Peek in the bag daily. Drying time will vary depending on conditions.
Drying Thyme in the Microwave
- Place stems flat between two paper towels and microwave on high for 40 seconds.
- Move the stems around and microwave in 20-second increments until the thyme is dried and crunchy (~1.5-2.5 minutes).
- This method only works well in small quantities. Do not try to dry too much at once.
Notes
- Dried thyme will last for a year in a cool dry place.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried this (paper bag) it works pretty good here cause we live in a very dry atmosphere .. it’s called the dry side of Waimea… so that’s why.. thank you for this cause I have a huge thyme plant..
Aloha