How to dry lavender in oven: a step-by-step guide

Dried lavender is a very fragrant flower. Besides the fragrance, it’s very useful in cooking.

Proper drying of lavender will improve the taste. It can be used as an easy syrup, a dish to enjoy, in addition to ice cream, or even to make lavender tea. Store dried lavender for use a

s plants & spices and make good gifts for Christmas.

In the home, lavender can also be used for displays, or as aroma oil. The easiest way to store lavender is by drying it. It smells amazing. Lavender dries are soothing and calm and make the room very cozy.

Choose the English or the French variants of lavender because these have lots of oils. It is possible to dry the flowers or leaves. You must remove the buds of lavender from the plant before the flower opens up.

Are you interested in the smells and flowers? If you want to start drying lavender quickly, then this helpful guide shows the steps you need to take.

Dry lavender uses

There are so many wonderful uses for this flower – dried lavender blossoms, dried lavender buds, dried lavender stalks, or dried lavender stems can all be used for different purposes

Tea is an excellent way of using the dry lavender plant.

Moreover, it is commonly used in baked foods as well as baked desserts. Often they are used as a topping on ice cream!

Aromatherapy uses a lavender essential oil as an insect repellent that is excellent during the warmest months of the year.

Generally, the use of potpourris is however rare. This smells great! While lavender doesn’t dry well in potpourris, I prefer using a dryer to dry lavender to maintain its scent.

However, this article will focus on how to dry lavender in the oven.

Miraculous benefits of lavender herbs

What should be known about lavender-drying flowers are their benefits.

A bug repellent: Lavender’s dried flower has been known to have insect-removal abilities. Combining dried citrus and rosemary, Lavender is an effective insect repellent for your house furnishings and carpets.

A great addition to your tea collection: Dried stalks of lavender are easily turned into fine powders using mortar and pestle. Use powder in teas, and add lavender flavors to beverages.

What is culinary lavender?

It is possible to harvest lavender in two varieties.

Ornamental one is used in decorations and essential oils.

In addition to the culinary type, a lavender edible is grown for taste. Culinary lavender is an unusual variety of lavender that is more fragrant and less bitter when cooked.

When choosing to plant lavender for your cooking, cultivate mints and hidcotes. They’re among the most popular lavender edibles that are very attractive to grow as well as good to eat.

How long does lavender take to dry?

Drying lavender is only required for long-term storage of the flowers. This technique of preservation has no requirements for use. You can even prepare lavender when you pick it up. It has floral flavors that are somewhat mellow, but they are very aromatic.

Lavender will dry differently depending upon its drying method. The dehydration and oven-drying lavender process should take a few hours only. Air drying (like using a drying rack) takes approximately two and a half days to finish drying.

The time needed to dry lavender also depends on how much water your plants will take.

Small flower buds dry quicker than sprig & leaf. Hanging bunches and drying racks are slow ways of doing it. You need to let the lavender completely dry within 4-6 hours. Use a dehydration, microwave oven to get the lavender dry. It will dry very quickly using this procedure.

The steps to dry lavender will be identical regardless of the flower or leaf use.

Yes, lavender can be dried in all stages of growth but many prefer using flowers because the leaves won’t crumble.

When to cut lavender for drying?

You could cut lavender flowers from a single spot to a single place. Timing is not that significant to the leaves but it is important in the flower.

For drying lavender to make for cooking, you should pick them once they open. Harvest lavender plants around 6 inches apart from the lavender flowers. This will help you make a small bunch of lavender that is upside down when dry.

It is best to cut a flower before the petals open. The best moment in which flowers are cut is when the flowers turn yellow or green just before opening them. You can still use a few flower petals after the flower opens up, although they won’t smell as well.

Gathering lavender

After growing your plant – either by seed or by the propagation of lavender – you will have a harvesting period for lavender.

Leaves must be collected before the flower starts growing. The buds need picking before blooming. So take the flowers before the flower opens and keep them bright purple. You can cut this out of fresh lavender or use dried lavender if you like!

Choose the right time for lavender to harvest. Then the fragrance will remain strong for longer.

Best lavender for drying

The most suitable lavender for dry is English lavender. It contains many oils as well. But no worries, it is possible to dry all the varieties you have at home, whether they are English, Spanish, or French.

What part of lavender do you dry?

It is possible to dry a whole lot. Nevertheless, lavender buds are popular because they contain the highest concentrations of essential oils. So that’s the scent. They taste delicious.

However, leaves are edible and also fragrant and can also be used as a food and craft product. It’s also probably worth trying drying the stem.

Drying the leaves

Flowers of lavender smell fantastic and they can be dried easily and quickly. Use the tender new growth near the stems to achieve the best effect. It’s possible to take a leaf anytime. But it will be better if you wait until the flower buds begin flowering.

You can just take out each one of them, as you wish. Remove all the leaves from the shrub to make it easier for them to grow.

Drying lavender flowers

You can cut out your flower just under your stem or below it. Or you cut it underneath the buds, depending on what you are using and the drying procedure. Try not to remove the leaves before they’re dry as they can get crushed.

If you are cutting already dried flowers of lavender, you can take advantage of specialized scissors and slice off the stalk rather than ripping it off.

Dry lavender with a microwave or oven

If you don’t have time and room for a lavender drying process at home, it should still be done at the lowest possible heat in an oven. The treatment will take around 10 minutes to remove and the stems are very brittle. Gently remove dried lavender buds from the stems and place them into an opaque, sealed bag or an airtight container.

Preparing to dry lavender

It’s best if we gather some 20-30 flower clusters and tie them together with twine and rubber band and make a bunch. Use clothespins or other tools for hanging the piece upside down for 2-4 weeks.

Find the dryest location for the best results – it’s also better if it is a cool place. It keeps dried lavender as purple as possible.

Whenever you collect a piece of lavender to dry use a sharp pair of the precision pruner. It guarantees a better cut.

Depending upon the process type you have chosen, cut the flowers from the bottom, just above the leaves to the base.

When drying the flowers under sunlight or in an oven cut them under the petals.

The leaves can be picked out from stems by pulling apart individual ones closer to their tips. If it’s too late to cut the flower sprig, you will probably lose your bloom.

The oven method

When it comes to drying lavender, it is possible to use a microwave or oven. This way is dangerous as your stem will burn out.

You should take great care of delicate buds. Try soaking lavender for an easier method of cleaning it up, later placing it on paper towels for moisture to soak in. But it should go well with no washing – especially, don’t use hot water!

The oven needs to be reheated on low. Spread your flowers in one large clean baking tray before putting it in the oven. Do not forget to make sure that everything is laid flat on a baking sheet.

Place the tray in the oven and leave your lavender to dry.

Check them at least every 10 minutes and remove them once the leaves feel brittle.

Set the microwave to a high temperature. Make sure the air is moist before the work begins. Continue for 20 to 30 seconds until buds and stems have dried.

NOTE: Alternatively, a dehydrator tray should be used – just make sure the stems do not break.

Tips for drying lavender leaves

While some prefer to dry lavender leaves, the foliage smells wonderful and can be easily dried.

If you are attempting to dry a flower, use a tender growing stem for optimal growth. To make the stems dry you have to remove the stems at any given moment.

When flowers on the stems are growing and you want to continue growing, just wait until it starts to bloom.

You should never remove any plants in a single place because it can stop the growth of the plants.

FAQ

Final thoughts

Drying lavender in the oven is a simple drying process, as a result of which you will be able to make lavender oil with an amazing scent, and make yourself a cup of lavender tea, that will smell great.

Dry lavender quickly in an oven for fast results and don’t forget to store it in an airtight container. Read How to harvest mint without killing the plant