Drying lavender - How it's done

The dried flowers can be used in many ways, for example as scented sachets or as sugar. However, to ensure that it does not lose its essential oils, a few things must be observed when drying.

Already in grandmother's time, dried lavender was used to give laundry a fresh scent and keep moths away. To this day, there are lavender pillows with dried flowers that exude their typical aromatic scent as potpourri or in the linen cupboard.

If you have lavender in your garden and want to dry the flowers, you only have to pay attention to a few points to preserve the scent of summer. And dried lavender isn't just good for the nose, it's also great for many ailments.

It all depends on the right time

1 In the garden, lavender not only impresses with its appearance, but of course also with its smell. However, the scent becomes more intense when lavender has dried. In order for this to be the case, however, the optimum point in time for the harvest must be determined. If you want to benefit from the valuable ingredients, you have to harvest the lavender when the flowers are almost fully open. Then the essential oils are contained in the highest concentration.

2 In addition to the inflorescence, something else is also crucial for an optimal result. You may be wondering now, but it also depends on the time. The best time to harvest is late morning or midday, when the buds have dried off from the morning dew and are fully aromatic.

» Caution: The flowers must not be wet!!!

3 Now cut off the flowers and tie them together with string or a rubber band. On the other hand, if the flowers are very small, cut the inflorescences together with the stem. They are then hung upside down in a warm, dry and dark place.

The flowers must not be dried in the sun, otherwise they will lose their beautiful color and the essential oils will also evaporate.

4 Drying in the oven is also not recommended. The valuable oils are only retained if drying is carried out slowly.

» A little hint: Already from about 40 degreesthe active ingredients can be damaged.

5 After about 8 days, the flowers should be dry and easy to remove from the flower head. If they are not fully dried, mold can develop and the harvest is useless.

You can use dried lavender flowers for teas, as a herbal spice or as a scented sachet.

Lavender Fragrance Sachet Video Tutorial