How to dry parsley at home

Fragrant and healthy grass grows in almost every garden. The beneficial properties of spices have been known since ancient times. Parsley is widely used in cooking and traditional medicine. It is added to many dishes, used for canning, frozen for the winter. Popular not only fresh grass, but also dried herbs and roots. Before you start preparing parsley for long-term storage, you should familiarize yourself with some recommendations.

Parsley preparation

If spicy grass is grown in a summer cottage or in a garden, then you need to cut it until the flowering period has come. The leaves should be bright green and without any kind of damage. Harvesting is best done in dry and sunny weather.

After the spice branches are cut, they should be sorted out - remove damaged or old branches and yellowed leaves. It is necessary to collect water in the tank and rinse the raw materials well. After the procedure, parsley branches are recommended to be dried, for this it is necessary to spread the green mass on a towel or put in bunches in glasses.

Parsley roots have healing and spicy qualities. Before drying, the roots are recommended to be thoroughly washed from dirt under running water using a hard washcloth or brush. Then you need to remove a thin layer of skin with a knife and cut smaller roots.

Ways to Dry Parsley

In the open air
In order to dry aromatic spicy grass at home, you need to choose a darkened and well-ventilated place, without access to sunlight. Otherwise, parsley leaves may turn yellow. You can cut the grass along with the stems, or you can dry the branches in their entirety. If you want to dry whole branches, you need to collect them in small bundles and hang them down. The bundles should contain about fifteen twigs each. After about ten days, the bundles are removed and the dry leaves are separated from the stems. Ready dried herbs are stored in a closed container until the next harvest.

In order to dry the cut greens, you need to follow the recommendations:

1. Cut fresh washed grass with the stems.
2. Prepare special pallets or spread paper in the selected room.
3. Spread chopped parsley over the surface with a thin layer.
4. The first three to four days periodically stir up the mass.

You need to dry the greens for about one or two weeks, the period depends on weather conditions, the method of cutting and the variety of parsley. Place the finished product in any container, jar or container, and close the lid. Store dried parsley in a dark, dry place.

In the oven
It may happen that there is absolutely no free time to mess with parsley or the climate does not allow to dry the grass properly. Then a good alternative to natural drying is drying the parsley in the oven.

In order for the spice to dry quickly, they first break off the leaves from the stems. Cooked baking sheets should be covered with paper or parchment. Spread parsley leaves on a baking sheet with a thin layer and place in a heated oven. Heat the oven to a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees. To greens dried well and not worn out, it is recommended to open the door. During drying, the greens must be periodically mixed. After 1.5 - 2 hours, the dried herbs are ready.The degree of readiness of the product can be determined by grinding the leaves with your fingers - if the parsley crunches and easily breaks and crumbles, then it is time to remove it.

The second method of drying in the oven involves the heat treatment of cut greens. To do this, parsley is crushed together with the stems and laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet. The temperature in the oven should be between 45 and 50 degrees. Well-dried greens crumble easily. Store chopped dried parsley in tightly closed glass jars.

In the electric dryer
For the preparation of dried vegetables and herbs, there are special devices - electric dryers. On the device you need to set a special mode for drying herbs. Prepared and washed greens should be decomposed into special lattices. The electric dryer is switched off automatically. In order for the grass to dry well and retain its beneficial properties and aroma, parsley should be dried after washing. Excess water can affect drying time.

In the microwave
Another good way to prepare dried parsley for the winter is to use a microwave. Preparation of greens occurs as with other drying methods - damaged twigs and weeds with garbage are removed. The flat dish is covered with a napkin. Whole or chopped parsley is laid out on the dish. Now you need to cover everything with another plate and you can proceed to the drying procedure. Choose the highest power and turn on the device for 3 minutes. If the greens are not dry enough, then the action should be repeated. Ready dried herbs should be stored in a closed container in a dry and dark room.

High-quality dried parsley will be a great addition to any dish for the whole winter. It can be added to soups, to main dishes, used in the preparation of salads. Food containing parsley, not only has a fragrant smell and pleasant taste, but also provides the body with the necessary vitamins. This is especially required in the winter, when there is so lack of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Video: how to dry parsley