Dried Herb Ideas – Useful Decoration

When I bring in my chili pepper crop, I always dry a batch on the dehydrator (after blanching them in boiling water for about five seconds), and string them on heavy twine with an upholstery needle. This long garland of bright red peppers decorates my kitchen, and pinch-hits as a last minute source of chili peppers for homemade burritos and chimichangas. I will usually take the season end peppers that haven't turned red and make a green garland too.

This isn't the only useful herb decoration that I use. I make yearly herb wreaths and swags. I also make lavender pillows, candles, bath salts and sugars. I knot long strands of chives, which I dry and hang by a hook near the stove. The dried chives lose their flavor pretty rapidly, but I keep indoor plants, too.

I mention this because I get comments from time to time from people who what to keep herbs but are afraid that they won't know what to do with them. Over the years, I've found so many uses for my herbs, that the problem now if finding the time to get everything done in a single season.