Mixed dried herbs

Thyme comes into flower in April and oregano in July; cultivated marjoram is in flower bud and flowering throughout the summer and winter savory begins to flower at the end of July. It is at these times that the four herbs that make up my dried herb mixture are collected, the branches gathered into bouquets, tied and hung upside-down, over the fireplace and from rafters throughout the house, until dried. After a couple of weeks, they are packed into large paper bags (recovered from American supermarkets — France has swept definitively into the age of plastic) with other paper bags pulled over the open tops, permitting, at the same time, aeration and protection from dust. Except for a few bouquets of oregano, saved for use alone throughout the year, all the herbs are assembled in the autumn, the bouquets crumbled between gloved hands, the crumbs passed in an electric processor, sieved to remove branch fragments and packed into glass jars for storage in an unheated, unlighted room. I am not particular about specific proportions but thyme always dominates, followed by oregano, marjoram and savory, in descending proportions. The semi-stripped bouquets are saved for steeping in vinegar, others being tossed occasionally into the fireplace to flavor grilled foods or to scent the air.