Alton Brown's Trick To Keep DIY Dried Herbs From Turning Brown

If you often find yourself with a pile of herbs left over after cooking, you're not alone. Unless you plan on making a flavored mayo or pesto, it can be hard to figure out how to use up the huge bunches sold at supermarkets. The good news is that you can easily dry out your leftover herbs for future use, and Alton Brown has a trick to keep them looking their best.

Dried herbs often turn brown as they age due to natural enzymes that break down the chlorophyll in the leaves, which strips them of their vibrant colors. To stop this process, all you need to do is blanch the herbs in hot water for a few seconds before drying them, as Brown explains on his website. It's extremely easy: Simply bring a big pot of water to a boil, dip your herbs in it for just 15 seconds, and quickly transfer them to an ice bath for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Then, it's time to dry them.

Brown recommends using a salad spinner to dry the herbs after you've drained them. He also likes to use air-conditioning filters to dry out the herbs for storage, spreading them across the filters before stacking them in front of a fan for 24 hours.

You can also hang herbs to dry by tying them in bundles and positioning them upside down in a dark place for a week or two. The dried herbs will last for up to three years in an airtight container, ready to be used in all kinds of dishes.

Brown, who has decades of culinary experience, likes to add dried oregano and parsley to his breadcrumbs when coating cutlets for chicken parmesan. The Food Network star also reaches for his herb jars to enhance the flavors of meatloaf and homemade slaws. And by blanching them before drying, he keeps his herbs looking bright and beautiful — just like when they were fresh.