Learn all there is to know to grow, harvest, preserve, and use French Tarragon and download a free herb card to print for your reference too. If you can get a stem cutting from an existing plant in late spring or early summer, you should see good success. Option 2: Oven dry. If you are drying grocery store herbs, it is best to gently rinse them and dry completely. Tarragon; Dill; Drying Herbs in the Oven: An Easy Process. As mentioned earlier, basil, tarragon, lemon balm and mints have high moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly. Then store the dried tarragon in a container with a tight fitting lid or in a plastic bag with a zip top. Washing can strip the oils from the leaves. Keep in mind that there are two main varieties of this herb: French and Russian. Freezing: French tarragon can be frozen in a zippered plastic bag. Drying: Dry tarragon by hanging stems upside down in bunches in a warm, dry place out of the sun. French Tarragon can only be grown by propagation or by buying an established plant. Sativa) is a perennial herb with long, slender, pointy green leaves. Tarragon is often described by French chefs as the king of herbs and is widely used in French cooking; in fact, it is one of the major French fines herbes. Dry in a very cool oven (high temperatures will result in tasteless herbs). French tarragon and Russian tarragon are the two main cultivated tarragon species. Tarragon can also be dried in a microwave in about 1 to 3 minutes; check often and remove leaves when they are dry to the touch. Learn everything you need to know about growing, harvesting, preserving, and using it. Harvest your herbs. Propagating Tarragon . Although tarragon is native to southern Russia and western Asia, most dried tarragon that is sold commercially is French tarragon and is grown in France. As fall approaches, tarragon’s leaves begin to yellow, signaling that it is about to take a winter sabbatical. If the plants are homegrown and free of pesticides, it’s not necessary to wash them. You can also dry the tarragon by hanging the shoots in a cool, dry area. French Tarragon is a wonderful herb to add to your perennial herb garden. French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. This herb doesn't flower much and, when it does, the flowers are sterile.