Even in sealed glass or metal containers, herbs lose much of their 
flavor in a year. New supplies should be dried or purchased every fall 
to insure fresh flavorings for winter fare. 
The drying process for seed herbs is quite different. They are 
not cut until the seeds are thoroughly ripe. Plants should be watched 
daily when the seeds become mature so that they may be gathered 
when they are dry and before they drop. A gocd test is to tap the 
stems to see if the seeds will fall. 
When the seeds can be pulled off the heads easily and the weather 
is dry, they should be harvested at once. Cut the heads and spread on 
a clean sheet or light canvas. Threshing should be done on the grass 
so that the seeds will not be crushed from the blows of the flail. Usually 
the heads are dried in the sun for several days, taking them in at night, 
however, the umbelliferous herbs may often be threshed without pre- 
liminary drying. Light flat sticks or old-fashioned carpet beaters make 
good flails. 
Small quantities of seed may be pulled off the umbels or rubbed 
out of the heads by hand. They are then passed through a screen to 
remove the stems. Some low-growing varieties such as Anise may need 
to be washed to remove mud-spatterings after screening. 
Before they are bottled, seeds must be thoroughly dried for a week 
or two in the sun or a dry, airy place. They may be spread out on 
sheets or clean muslin which will permit the air to circulate through. 
When they are quite dry, seeds are stored in air-tight containers in 
the same way as leaf herbs. 
The volatile oils of Salad Burnet, Chervil and Tarragon evaporate 
so quickly when they are dried that the best way to preserve them is 
to steep them in vinegar. The leaves are gathered and washed as for 
drying. The excess moisture is drained off, then the herbs are loosely 
packed in wide mouth jars which can be made air-tight. A good grade 
of white or wine vinegar is poured over them; jars are sealed and stored 
in a dark closet. In a few months the vinegar may be strained off to 
use as a condiment and in salad dressings. However, if the herbs are 
left in the vinegar, the French way, they may be chopped fine for 
seasoning dishes where the tang of vinegar would be unwelcome. Basil, 
Dill, Fennel and Mint also make delicious vinegar. 
Small quantities of herbs may be dried in the refrigerator. Place 
the leaves on an uncovered plate under the freezing unit. In a few 
days the complete limpness of the leaves indicates that they are ready 
to be finished off in a cool oven. This novel method of dehydrating 
keeps the true green color and characteristic flavor intact. All the 
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