Direction

1. Start with very fresh herbs from the garden. If you grow organically, there's no need to wash them but if you do, make sure the leaves are very dry (either spun dry in a salad spinner, or thoroughly pressed between towels to remove all the moisture). This ensures the herbs are dried—not steamed—in the oven.
   Choose sprigs that have uniformly sized leaves so they all dry at the same time.
2. Arrange the sprigs of oregano on a baking sheet. Remove any ratty leaves and spread the herbs out, stems and all, in a single layer across a baking sheet. Try not to overlap them too much as you want air to circulate between the leaves.
   If you have a lot of oregano to dry, you might need to do this in two or more batches.
3. Preheat the oven and place the oregano on the center rack to dry. Set your oven to its lowest temperature setting; mine hovers around 200°F.
   Once it's preheated, place your tray of herbs on the center rack and prop the door open slightly with a wooden utensil to allow some air movement.
   Then (important step!) turn the oven off and let the herbs dry inside while the heat slowly dissipates. This method ensures the delicate leaves won't burn.
   They dry within 10 or 15 minutes, but I leave them in the oven until the temperature is completely cool before removing the tray. I simply set it and forget it, then come back to the kitchen in an hour to finish up.
4. Pull the leaves off the stems and store in an airtight container. Once the oregano is cool enough to touch, pull the leaves off the stems.
   Make sure the oregano is completely dry, as any moisture left in the leaves can cause mold. They should crumble easily when you slide your fingers down the stem.
   Store the dried oregano in an airtight container for maximum freshness. Under optimal conditions, it should keep for about six months (after that, the flavor will start to deteriorate and you'll need to use more of it in your recipes).