Garden Parsley, categorized as a vegetable and a herb, is generally consumed because of its unique flavour. This versatile herb incorporates Vitamin K which offers protection from diabetes and enhances bone health.
Drying Parsley leaves will enhance the herb’s flavour. There are numerous alternatives for doing so; how do you pick the simplest one?
Don’t worry; we’ve put in hours of testing and practice to come up with seven simple ways to dry Parsley.
Do this Before you Begin to Dry Parsley
There are a few crucial steps to take before drying parsley. To begin, carefully remove the stalk from the parsley you have purchased or harvested.
You don’t need scissors for this—gently pull the leaves apart, and you’re done. Examine all of the leaves you’ve gathered now.
Remove something that shows even the tiniest sign of blight. Apart from lowering efficiency, wilting or dying parts can have an effect on both safety and shelf life.
Furthermore, leaves that show signs of damage will not taste as well. After you’ve checked for blight, it’s time to examine the leaves more closely. If you see insects crawling on a leaf, throw it away.
How to Dry Parsley by Hanging
Time needed: 10 days
Drying parsley leaves by hanging them is one of the most common ways used. It doesn’t require you to keep an eye on your parsley, and you can dry in bulk quantities as well.
- What will you need?
1. Fresh Parsley
2. Colander
3. A twine or rubber bands
4. Paper Bags
5. A string - Wash your Leaves
Rinse your parsley leaves under running water in a colander to get rid of any insects and dirt. Make sure you wash it gently to avoid harming the herb.
- Make a Small Bundle
Individually pick up the parsley leaves and keep them by their ends. Don’t put more than eight leaves in a package, or else they will face issues regarding proper air circulation.
- Tie your Bundle
Using a rubber band, tie the bundles together. To secure the package, wrap the tie around the base of the stems.
If you want to hang the Parsley, leave extra string or tie a new piece of string around the end of the package.
When you use a rubber band to hold the parsley in place, it will tighten as the parsley leaves dries. You won’t lose any leaves if you do this. - Place in Paper Bags
Use a paper bag with holes punched in it to cover your parsley bundles. The bag will keep your herbs dust-free while the holes allow air to circulate around the leaves.
- Hang your Herbs
Hang the parsley away from direct sunlight in a well-ventilated location. The bundles should be hung from a string upside down.
Make sure the location you choose has good air circulation.
You know your Parsley has dried when you rub them in your hands and they’re crispy with a crunchy texture.
Dry Parsley Using a Food Dehydrator
Time taken: 2-3 hours
Optimum temperature: 95 degrees
What will you need?
- Fresh Parsley
- Dehydrator trays
- A pair of kitchen Scissors
- A bowl
Despite being on the pricey end of the spectrum, dehydrators can offer lower heat and more drying control, making this an effective method for speedily drying Parsley.
Wash your Parsley
Rinse these leaves properly under running water to get rid of any dirt or bugs.
Cut your Parsley Leaves
Remove the parsley leaves from the stem by cutting them with your kitchen scissors or plucking them.
Arrange the Parsley Leaves
Place the leaves in a single layer ensuring that they don’t come on each other. This will make sure they get evenly dehydrated.
Spread the leaves out to allow proper air circulation. You can even place the Parsley sprigs directly if you want.
Dry the Leaves
Since Parsley is a delicate leaf, begin with 2 hours at 95 degrees. You can watch how Margaret does it here:
Keep an Eye
Watch as your Parsley leaves are drying and make sure you don’t overheat them. Keep a constant check on them throughout the drying process.
Let the Parsley Cool
Move the Parsley to a bowl to cool thoroughly. You know your Parsley leaves have dried when you rub them in your hands and they are crispy with a crunchy texture.
Allow it to cool fully before crushing and storing it.
Dry Parsley Using Air Drying
Time taken: A few days
What will you need?
- Fresh Parsley
- Paper towels
- A pair of kitchen scissors
For air drying parsley leaves, you must pluck fresh Parsley from your garden at dawn, when it is most tender.
Ensure that it is a little after the sun has risen to ascertain that the dew from the night has evaporated fully.
Wash your Parsley
Rinse these leaves properly under running water to get rid of any dirt or bugs.
Cut your Parsley Leaves
Remove the parsley leaves from the stem by cutting them with your kitchen scissors or plucking them.
Arrange the Parsley Leaves
Place the parsley sprigs on a paper towel in a single layer. Place them near a window in a humid, aerated area.
Spread the leaves out to allow proper air circulation. You can even place the Parsley sprigs directly if you want.
Dry your Parsley Leaves
Turn the springs over for a few days until it is dry and crispy. Keep the bags in a cool, dry location with plenty of ventilation.
You know your Parsley leaves have dried when you rub them in your hands and they are crispy with a crunchy texture.
You can refer to how YouTuber CrazyHacker does it here:
Dry Parsley Using an Air Fryer
Time taken: 6 minutes
Optimum temperature: 360 degrees Fahrenheit
What will you need?
- Fresh Parsley
- A Salad spinner
- Paper Towels
- Baking Sheets
- A pair of kitchen scissors
- A bowl
Dehydrating Parsley in the Air Fryer has many advantages, including the fact that it takes the shortest amount of time with only 3 minutes per side.
It also enables a longer shelf life while letting the Parsley retain more flavor.
Preheat your Air Fryer
Ensure that your air fryer has been heating at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 minutes.
Clean your Parsley
Under running water, thoroughly wash the Parsley. Using a salad spinner, dry the Parsley.
Place your Parsley leaves on a paper towel or a baking sheet. Dry moisture of the Parsley leaves by patting it dry.
Cut your Parsley Leaves
Remove the parsley leaves from the stem by cutting them with your kitchen scissors or plucking them.
Dry your Parsley Leaves
Cover the Parsley with a rack or a trivet and air fry for 3 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit. After 1 minute, shake/stir the Parsley.
By doing so, you will be able to spread the leaves out and enable the air dryer to heat them evenly with proper air circulation.
Keep an Eye
Watch as your Parsley leaves are drying and make sure you don’t overheat them. Keep a constant check on them throughout the drying process.
Let the Parsley Cool
Move the Parsley to a bowl to cool thoroughly. You know your Parsley leaves have dried when you rub them in your hands and they are crispy with a crunchy texture.
Allow it to cool fully before crushing and storing it.
Dry Parsley Using an Oven
Time taken: 2 to 4 hours
Optimum temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit
What will you need?
- Fresh Parsley
- Baking Sheet
- Brown Paper
- Mortar and pestle
Drying fresh Parsley leaves in an oven is quite effective when you need to dry Parsley in bulk, storing it for your use, or selling it at your store.
Cut your Parsley Leaves
Remove the woody stem bits and detach the tender leaves before chopping the Parsley into 1/4″ sections.
Blanch
Blanch the Parsley leaves for 20 to 30 seconds in boiling water.
Arrange the Parsley Leaves
Place the blanched Parsley on the tray in a crosshatch pattern. Keep it smooth and uniformly spaced, with no large parsley clumps sticking together.
Set the Temperature
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Reduce the oven’s temperature to the lowest level.
This method works better after the oven has been switched off and you’ve just finished baking something prior.
Otherwise, it is better to take a little longer instead of getting it too hot and roasting the Parsley leaves.
Let the Parsley Dry
The exact time depends on your residence’s relative humidity and altitude. Keep an eye on it because it can dry faster than expected.
Keep an Eye
Watch as your Parsley leaves are drying and make sure you don’t overheat them. Keep a constant check on them throughout the drying process.
Let the Dry Leaves Cool
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. You know your Parsley leaves have dried when you rub them in your hands and they are crispy with a crunchy texture.
Use your hands or a mortar and pestle to crush the Parsley leaves before you store it.
Remove any stalks that remain. You should refer to how Naomi does this here:
Dry Parsley Using a Microwave
Time taken: 2 to 5 minutes
What will you need?
- Fresh Parsley
- A salad spinner
- Microwave-safe paper towels
- A plate
Microwave-dried Parsley retains color as well as its potent flavor. The reason is that microwaves are a bit gentler on plant tissue comparatively.
This is because the water in the herb leaves absorbs more energy than the plant tissue does.
Wash your Parsley
Rinse these leaves properly under running water to get rid of any dirt or bugs. Use a salad spinner to dry them.
Arrange the Parsley Leaves
Lay a paper towel laid flat on your plate. Arrange the parsley bunches on the paper towel in a single sheet, then cover with another paper towel.
Dry the Parsley Leaves
Microwave for 1 minute and then 15 seconds at a time until completely dry.
After a total of 2 minutes, the leaves should be dry and ready. If you are microwaving a larger bundle of Parsley, you may need to add a little more time.
Keep an Eye
Watch as your Parsley leaves are drying and make sure you don’t overheat them. Keep a constant check on them throughout the drying process.
Let it Cool Down
Let your dried Parsley leaves cool down for some time before you store it. You know your Parsley leaves have dried when you rub them in your hands and they are crispy with a crunchy texture.
Remove stems after the leaves are dry and crunchy. Crush dried parsley leaves between your fingers with your thumb and forefinger.
You can do this by pinching and rubbing them together and storing them accordingly.
Dry Parsley Using a Paper Bag
Time taken: A few days
What will you need?
- Fresh Parsley
- A salad spinner
- Paper bags
- A pair of kitchen scissors
- A Paper towel or a baking sheet
If you want to dry your Parsley leaves without having to worry about them overheating and getting burnt, make use of the paper bags laying around your place.
Clean your Parsley
Under running water, thoroughly wash the Parsley. Using a salad spinner, dry the Parsley.
Place your Parsley leaves on a paper towel or a baking sheet. Dry moisture of the Parsley leaves by patting it dry.
Cut your Parsley Leaves
Remove the parsley leaves from the stem by cutting them with your kitchen scissors or plucking them.
Dry your Leaves
Place these leaves in a dry clean paper bag and let them dry. Place the paper bag in a cool, dry location after sealing it and shake it gently occasionally for the leaves to dry evenly.
Keep an Eye
Watch as your Parsley leaves are drying and make sure you keep a constant check on them throughout the drying process.
You know your Parsley leaves have dried when you rub them in your hands and they are crispy with a crunchy texture. You can go through how Judi has done this over here:
The Right Method for Storing Dried Parsley Leaves
One should store dry Parsley in airtight containers, glass containers, or mason jars. Store dried Parsley away from heat and keep your jars in a cool, dark spot.
Parsley leaves that have been dried can be stored for up to a year. You can use them in the same way as you would fresh ones.
You can still use them after a year, but the fragrance will be diminished.
Our Take on Which Method is Best
Air drying is the best option for people who live in tropical climates. For drying Parsley leaves in bulk for mass storage, this method and the food dehydrator process are ideal.
If you need to dry Parsley leaves quickly, use a microwave rather than an air fryer or an oven. However, you need to constantly check your Parsley leaves as they dry.
This is to ensure they don’t get overheated and burn. You should dry your parsley leaves in your kitchen if there is a power outage due to bad weather. Do so by hanging them or using a paper bag.
FAQs
Parsley that has been adequately dried would be smaller and lighter in color than fresh Parsley. The leaves will quickly crush in your hands, and you will hear a sound close to rustling leaves.
If they wrinkle instead, this indicates that they haven’t completely dried.
You can store ground herbs like basil, Parsley, and oregano for up to two years. They can last a little longer if dried and stored in their natural form for around 3 to 4 years.
Make two halves of the bunch. Using a gentle swishing motion in a bowl of running water, wash the stems and leaves together.
Before removing the fresh leaves from the stems entirely, remove any bruised leaves.
The water in the leaves gets hot and evaporates – that’s why the paper towels get damp during the drying process- leaving drying plant tissue behind.
The plant tissue heats a little because of its contact with the water, but the water absorbs most of the heat. In a conventional oven, all the plant material gets hot, not just the water.
Hang-drying can also be achieved indoors, but it takes a couple of weeks longer and yields more flavorful herbs. A paper bag is helpful in preventing leaves and seeds from dropping to the ground.
Bottom Line
We’ve gone through seven simple ways to dry parsley leaves for various purposes. We hope that this guide has helped you understand how to dry herbs like Parsley at home.
If this article was insightful for you, please share it with your friends and family, and feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below!