Rinsed Oregano Before Drying

Question

I rinsed my oregano before drying. Have I ruined it? Every year I dry some of the herbs I’ve grown. This year, I thought I should rinse the oregano, I was thinking, ‘What if a toad peed on it?’ Then I shook the branches off and laid outside on the covered deck to dry. Within hours, the leaves got dark and shriveled. Will the oregano still be good? No, it’s not moldy.

Answer 1

As long as you allowed the herb to throughly dry, it is perfectly fine to rinse it off. In fact, most people do. It is not uncoomn for them to lose some of their color after harvesting or wilting. For more information on harvesting and storing herbs, these articles should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/oregano/learn-how-to-grow-oregano.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/hgen/how-to-dry-herbs-various-methods.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/hgen/freezing-herbs.htm