How to Harvest Oregano for Fresh, Aromatic Herbs All Season

Oregano is an aromatic, semi-evergreen perennial herb that is easy to grow and harvest. Famous for its popularity on pizzas and as an ingredient in Italian and Mexican cuisines, it’s no wonder garden lovers look forward to prime harvest time. With a pungent flavor profile that offers an earthy yet slightly minty and peppery taste, this versatile herb is favored in sauces and marinades around the world and can be enjoyed fresh or dried.

As a hardy ground cover, oregano not only helps repel certain garden pests like aphids, mosquitos, cabbage moths, and cucumber beetles, but the cut-and-come-again herb makes a perfect edging plant in garden beds and patches.

Here, our experts offer their top tips on how and when to harvest oregano while providing storage and drying tips for future use.

Tools You’ll Need

• A clean pair of sharp scissors or garden shears
• A container, such as a plastic bag, basket, or bucket, with a small amount of water if you intend to keep cuttings fresh for a short period.

Instructions

Harvesting oregano is a simple (and fun) garden activity that can be accomplished solo or with the company of loved ones. Here, Garland shares simple tips for a successful harvest.

1. Gather a handful of stems and cut approximately two-thirds down the stem using sharp, clean scissors, ensuring at least six sets of leaves remain on each stem. 
2. Plants will branch and regrow from where you cut (two-thirds down), allowing for another harvest later in the season.
3. Cuttings can be used immediately, processed, or treated like cut flowers by placing them in a vase on your counter for fresh use for up to a week.
   

When to Harvest Oregano

Harvesting oregano at the right time is crucial to ensure potency and optimum flavor; nevertheless, ideal harvest time largely depends on personal flavor preference and usage. "For the best flavor, oregano plants, like most herbs, should ideally be harvested before they flower," says Garland, who mornings as the best time to harvest this aromatic herb. Oregano leaves have higher concentrations of essential oils in the morning, producing maximum flavor and aroma. 

If you prefer a mild oregano flavor, harvest the herb just before the flowers open, and note that you can consume both the oregano leaves and flowers.  Not only are oregano flowers great for pollinators, but they can also boost the flavor profile of sauces, oils, vinegars, breads, and more. 

How to Store Fresh Oregano

Storing oregano in the refrigerator is a simple and effective way to maintain the herb's quality and flavor. Stan Wakely, horticulturist, former host of the WGAN Garden Show, and an employee of the Urban Garden Center for 18 years, shares these simple tips to help you store fresh oregano conveniently in your fridge for short-term use and drying for long-term enjoyment. Note, though, that it's best not to wash the herb before storing it, as moisture can cause it to spoil more quickly.

The Cup Method

1. Cut the stems at the base of the plant. (You can cut two-thirds down if you prefer to encourage branching).
2. Clear the bottom leaves off of the stem.
3. Set the herbs in a glass filled with a few inches of water. Be sure that the water only touches the stem, not any oregano leaves.
4. Store it in the refrigerator and use it as needed.
   

The Damp Paper Towel Method

1. Lightly wrap the freshly harvested oregano in a damp paper towel.
2. Place oregano wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic baggie and put it in the refrigerator (use within a week).
   

"If your oregano starts to wilt when in the refrigerator you can hang dry it," says Wakely. This way, no herb goes wasted and can be enjoyed at a later time.

How to Dry Oregano for Future Use 

If you grow oregano (and other herbs) in your summer garden, you may end up with more than you can use up before winter. This is where the timeless method of drying herbs comes in and allows you to enjoy their flavors all year long. 

Dried oregano can last up to six months or more if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

1. Cut the oregano stems at the bottom of the plant. 
2. Wrap the base of the oregano bunches with elastic bands tightly. Elastic bands are a good choice because as the oregano dries, they will constrict and continue to hold it together.
3. Hang in a dark, warm, dry spot for a week or two, or until the oregano leaves are crumbly.
4. When the oregano bunches are fully dried, carefully strip the leaves off the stems.
5. Put dried leaves in tightly sealed canning jars with lids to have them ready for cooking; lightly crush the dried leaves with your hands or mortar and pestle before use.