Jonathan, Only a very little bit. I should have mentioned that the leaves should be completly dry (if you rinsed or washed them first). And that's one of my concerns if I try it with other than whole pods. A fresh cut I think would draw in the salt like when brining meat before smoking it. And that might not be an entirely bad thing except if you were on a diet that restricts salt intake. A Rogue friend of mine sent me cuttings of Columnar Basil a few weeks ago and I'm in love with it already. It doesn't go to seed and is only propagated by cuttings. Very pleasantly aromatic & tasty & will replace the Genovese that I usually grow. I should have plenty of cuttings to share early next year. Roots very easily. Even better than Mexican Oregano which is difficult to start from seed and I only share by cuttings now. jt ----- Original Message ----- From: Jonathan Smillie To: JohnT ; Chile Heads Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 2:26 PM Subject: Re: [CH] OT....drying oregano > John: >I 've never done salt-drying (but I have 3lb. of kosher salt in the pantry, >and an embarrassment of riches in basil plants out on the patio). Does the >salt-drying impart any saltiness to the dried material, or does the salt >simply leach out the moisture from the organic material and leave dry stuff >behind? JohnT wrote: > Depends on where you live. Even sun drying is difficult in the summer > where I live because of the high humidity. Clamp two window screens > together with a single layer of leaves (or entire branches) in between and > suspend horizontally off the ground out in the sun during the day for as > long as it takes. Take inside during the night if you get morning dew or > chance of rain etc. > > I've never done it, but on a tomato forum back in the 90s a lady posted > that she dehydrated tomato slices in a gas oven with just the pilot light > on. I can't remember if she left the door slightly ajar or not. I would > guess that some air exchange would be good. > > I'm salt drying basil leaves as we speak. Use an air-tight container with > a layer of non-iodized salt (coarse Kosher or sea salt is what I use) on > the bottom and cover with a single layer of leaves followed by alternate > layers of salt and leaves. Keep in fridge. The salt will end up nicely > flavored and useable for cooking. > > I know a couple pod-heads that salt dry chiles too & I think I will try > that very soon. Color & flavor retention is supposed to be excellent & > just think of how useful the salt would be! > > jt > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: lowell75@charter.net > To: ChileHeads > Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 12:03 PM > Subject: [CH] OT....drying oregano > > > I hung in the garden shed and air dryed last year without satisfactory > results > ...and I have a gas oven which I'm leery of. Would anyone recommend > another approach? > > Lowell75 >