How to Dry French Lavender

Dried French lavender has been used since ancient times both for its fragrance and its medicinal values. Its popularity has stood the test of time, and lavender continues to be used in sachets, floral arrangements, cooking, and natural medicine. Lavender can help relieve tension, stress, sinus congestion, and headaches. Used as a sachet, it can keep away insects. And as always, lavender is used for its appealing and soothing fragrance in perfumes and room fragrances.

Lavender plants
Pruning sheers or scissors
Rubber bands

Instructions

- 1
  Cut stems from the plants just above the woody portion before they are in full bloom to ensure their fullest fragrance and sturdiness.
- 2
  Gather stems of a similar length into a fist-size bunch. Wrap a rubber band around the stems about 1 to 2 inches from the cut ends to hold them together.
- 3
  Hang bunches upside down to allow the stems to dry straight in a dry room out of direct sunlight. Drying will take approximately two weeks to complete.
- 4
  Keep dried bunches stored in an air-tight container away from sunlight to keep their color and fragrance until needed.

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