Fresh herbs torn from the garden, rinsed and chopped. I really love cooking and nothing gives me greater pleasure than nipping outside to my small herb garden and pulling on a spring of rosemary or gently teasing off leaves of sage. My favourite herb is oregano even though I also adore basil, thyme and marjoram too.

Oregano is closely related to marjoram however the leaves are slightly coarser and a little larger. Oregano loves the heat and well drained soil. I have a large plant in my garden and also one in a large pot near my back door. On a daily basis I tend to pick the beautiful pungent leaves from the plant and toss them into whatever I’m cooking on the day.

Summer and autumn allows us to pick, freeze, dry and preserve everything we love, this giving up interesting and varied ingredients through the winter season.

Oregano grows in abundance in my garden almost more than mint. So today I decided the beautiful delicate oregano flowers were shining brightly hence the reason to snip them to dry.

Looking at the photo it gives you a rough idea. I have snipped each stem and tied them with string , about 20 stems in each bunch, (Only pick the oregano when its dry, on a sunny day).

The oregano will need to be hung in doors, I used a wooden hanger, how ever a garden we do too as long as the air can circulate. I will leave these probably for 8 weeks in order to ensure that the leaves and flowers are absolutely dry. Once dry place a table cloth down over your dining table and prepare some sterilized jars.

Scrunch each bunch and ensure that you take all of the flowers and any remaining leaves, if you have a small herb mill then run the herbs through the mill. Make sure there are no tiny swigs or stems that have sneaked into the herb leaves. Delicious in Italian slow cooked sauces, over a mozzarella and vine tomato salad and sprinkled over cold summer potatoes. I just love oregano.

Seal in jars and label. Ideal as a gift or perfect on your herb rack. Start drying your herbs. Which herb is your favourite?