If you have not yet begun growing your own herbs, fresh herbs are available year-round in the supermarkets, and can be found in even more variety (and greater freshness) at farmers' markets. Look for organically grown herbs at the market, and examine them as carefully as you would any produce.	Be wary of spotty, limp, insect-ravaged, or dry herbs. Herbs that are used as leaves are generally best when harvested just before flowering. Flowers, such as chive flowers or borage, should be fully open for best flavor. Always handle fresh herbs gently so as not to bruise them.

How I prepare and dry my herbs.
I prefer to snip off the leaves, rather than first hanging the whole plant, and then removing the leaves. Although hanging bunches of herbs might look decorative for a while, it is a very messy process. Here, the parsley heads are cut (not pulled) from the stalks and placed in a shallow layer in an open-weave basket. The stalks were used as compost fodder. I also cover trays with cheese cloth tightly stretched and tied at each end.
	Sage and other herbs receive similar treatment; the leaves cut carefully from the stems and gently placed in shallow layers. If the layers are rather thick, I daily turn the leaves by hand to expose the lower layers to air.
As evidenced right, as the leaves begin to dry, the volume on the tray is significantly reduced. The small amount of dried sage leaves shown right, represents 5 very large stems of fresh sage.
	Finally, left, the dried leaves are rubbed through a deep-frying basket. I find the holes of a flour sieve too small. If the leaves are not dry enough, they will not crumble, in which case, spread them to dry for at least another day.
Although glass and ceramic containers are very attractive in the kitchen, if I were to put all my herbs and spices in containers, I would need a much larger kitchen. Therefore, I store my herbs and spices in zip-lock bags (right), identified and dated, and stored in a dark, cool, dry pantry. The quantity of dried parsley in this bag represents two supermarket-bags (paper) full of fresh parsley.

STORING FRESH: It's all about essential oils. The sooner an herb is used after it has been harvested, the more flavor and aroma it imparts. Many fresh herbs will keep for several days if washed, patted dry, wrapped in a damp paper towel, then placed in a plastic bag with a few holes punched in it and stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Herb bunches may also be kept cut-flower-style in a glass or vase of water, well out of direct sunlight. DRYING: Drying your own herbs from fresh produces much more intensely flavored plants than can be bought commercially. Very warm temperatures will rob the herb of essential oils, so choose a location that gets no hotter than about 85°F. Lay the herbs out on a clean screen or on newspaper (some people tie them up in bunches and hang them by the stems). Protect from dust with a paper bag or a tent of newspaper. Depending on the fleshiness of the foliage, the herbs should dry within a week. When the herbs seem dry but not brittle, gently remove the leaves from the stems and store in a tightly sealed, lightproof glass or ceramic jar in a cool dark place. If you see moisture in the jar the next day, remove the leaves to dry some more. FREEZING: In general, freezing is fine for herbs that you plan to cook, but will render them far too limp to be used as a garnish. To freeze, wash the herb and pat dry with a paper towel, then divide in recipe-size quantities in freezer bags. Or chop the herbs and make ice cubes that are half herb, half water. Once frozen, store cubes in sealed plastic bags or containers to protect flavor. Use frozen herbs without defrosting, in about the same proportions as you would use fresh.