How to Dehydrate Oregano with a dehydrator. Dry fresh oregano to stock your spice cabinet. Use the dry oregano in all of your favorite recipes. Dehydrating is a very easy food preservation method you can use to preserve herbs and spices. You can save a lot of money by drying herbs yourself at home.
Harvest fresh oregano early in the morning if dehydrating oregano from the garden.
Put the oregano stems in a large bowl or plastic bin and cover with cold water.
Rinse the oregano until the water runs clear with no floating debris.
Pat the oregano dry with a soft lint free towel. Or use a salad spinner to remove all the water.
Set your dehydrator up in a safe place.
Arrange the stems of oregano on the dehydrator trays until you run out of the herb.
Place the lid on the dehydrator.
Set the temperature for 95 F. degrees. (see notes)
Arrange the oregano on your dehydrator trays. You can stack the herb on the trays or arrange single layers of the stems on the trays. The thicker amounts of herb will take longer to dry.
Dehydrate the oregano for two to six hours or until the herb is dry and crispy.
Once the oregano is dry allow the herb to cool off and come to room temperature.
Strip the oregano leaves from the stems. Crush the oregano before storing.
Store the crushed oregano in air tight containers and use as needed.
Recipe Expert Tips
Harvesting oregano: Harvest fresh oregano early in the morning after the dew has dried off but before the sun in high. Fresh herbs have more flavor in the early morning before the heat of the day.
Drying times: Thicker stemmed herbs like oregano will take longer to dry completely compared to an herb like dill or parsley which are more delicate herbs that dry quicker.
Dehydrating temperature: All herbs should be dried at 95 degrees Fahrenheit to retain as much of the essential oils that give fresh herbs their flavors. The lower heat helps retain as much of the flavor as possible. If your dehydrator does not have an adjustable temperature use the lowest temperate and check on the herb frequently.