Use This Home Essential To DIY A Space-Saving Herb Drying Rack For Your Kitchen

Drying herbs is a great way to preserve fresh greens, whether they're harvested from your kitchen window garden or bought from the farmer's market. However, there is a specific way to do so. Drying herbs out in the sun can cause them to lose their natural flavor. If you don't have a dehydrator, hanging the plants from a rack inside your home is the next best option. This way, their color and pungency stay intact. But you don't have to buy one of those fancy-tiered shelves to preserve your herbs. You can DIY a kitchen herb drying rack from a bathroom towel bar.

Using a towel rail is a stellar way to save space. You can mount it behind a door, on the side of the island, or on an unused wall. Plus, when it's not filled with flavorful spices, you can use the holder as intended for hand towels or other kitchen essentials like dishcloths and cooking utensils.

Getting a towel bar is the first step for this DIY. You can repurpose an old one or buy a standard towel rail for $10 on Amazon. For a renter-friendly rack, Walmart sells two over-the-door bars for $10. You can also splurge on a more sophisticated stand. The BROGRUND towel holder from IKEA is $24 and has three swivel bars, so you can dry several spices at once.

To convert the bathroom bar into an herb rack, you just need to install it in your kitchen. It is best to mount the rail away from your stove and sink to avoid unwanted grease or water interrupting the preservation. A spot out of direct sunlight with lots of ventilation is ideal. Once the location is secured, screw your towel holder in place and grab your spices.

You can add hooks to the beam to suspend the herbs or simply secure the greens from the rack with strings or clips. For sturdy herbs like rosemary and thyme, bundle the stems with twine and tie them to the rack. More delicate spices, like basil or lemon balm, should be placed inside a brown paper bag before being clipped to the towel rail. So now all those herbs perfect for growing in your backyard garden have somewhere to hang out after harvest.