Dehydrating herbs - leaves vs. stems
I use my dehydrator to dehydrate herbs such as parsley and dill. I use low temperature (95 F = 35 C) to preserve the taste. The dark-green leaves are usually completely dry after several hours, but the light-green stems remain slightly wet.
At one time, I made the mistake of putting everything together in a jar; it caught the mold in several days and I had to trash it.
I tried to cut the stems from the leaves and dehydrate them separately, but it turned out to be a very tedious task as each piece has a different length so I had to cut each piece separately.
What do you do?
Best Answer
Don't dry the stems is the answer, simply discard them. I strip the leaves off the stems either before or after drying for the same reasons you describe - they don't dry well. For many herbs there isn't as much flavor in the stems as the leaves, so less value in drying them anyway.
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Can you dehydrate herb leaves?
Drying is the easiest method of preserving herbs. Simply expose the leaves, flowers or seeds to warm, dry air. Leave the herbs in a well ventilated area until the moisture evaporates. Sun drying is not recommended because the herbs can lose flavor and color.Can you dry herbs on the stem?
The leaves of herbs such as sage, mint, rosemary, thyme and parsley, stripped from their stalks, are perfect for oven drying.Can you dry different herbs in a dehydrator?
A dehydrator can be used with nearly all herbs but is especially good for herbs such as basil, oregano, tarragon, lemon balm, and mints. These herbs have a high moisture content and they often mold if they are not dried quickly in a dehydrator or some other method.Do herbs lose potency when dried?
Dried herbs have a shelf life of about a year. They do not technically \u201cgo bad,\u201d but they do lose their potency over time.Never Use an Oven or Dehydrator to Dry Herbs Again With This Century Old Method
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Answer 2
Both parsley and dill has a lot of flavour in the stems.
Freezing is good, as suggested by Joe, but maybe chopping the stems with a machine/grinder prior to drying might help the process. Discard them if the stems are really woody of course.
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