What is the procedure to dry out Fenugreek leaves?
It is winter here. I wish to purchase lots of fresh Fenugreek leaves and then dry them out for later use.
Questions:
What procedure should be followed to dry them out in winter as fast as possible without letting them catch fungus?
How much drying out time is expected in winter (daytime temperature 21 C)?
Can I use a fan to dry them out? Will that have some adverse effects?
P.S. I do NOT wish to purchase any special machines/tools for drying out herbs.
Best Answer
The biggest cause of mould or fungus is humidity (moisure, dampness, water in the air) and the leaves by nature will produce this as they dry. After all, the drying process is removing water from the plant.
As long as you dry the herbs in an area with plenty of air circulation (to avoid humidity build up and take away any moisture as the leaves dry) you should be fine.
Make sure the herbs aren't bunched together, spread them out on a tray so the air can circulate around them. Turn them over regularly - every day or every 6 hours or so so they can dry evenly.
Remove any damaged/crushed/torn leaves or stems where mould can get a hold and spread.
Also remember just because the outside leaves stems may feel dry, the insides may not be, so give them longer to dry out than you think.
Pictures about "What is the procedure to dry out Fenugreek leaves?"
Quick Answer about "What is the procedure to dry out Fenugreek leaves?"
Spread a clean cotton cloth over a tray and spread the chopped leaves on the cloth. Cover the leaves with another thin cloth. Keep the tray in the sun and let the leaves dry nicely. It will take 2-3 days of strong sun to dry the leaves.How do you preserve fenugreek leaves?
Steps on how to preserve and store methi (fenugreek) leavesHeat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add methi leaves. You will need about a tablespoon of oil for 1 bunch of leaves. Saute on a medium flame till all the moisture absorbs and leaves shrink completely. Keep stirring so that leaves gets evenly coated with oil.How long do dried fenugreek leaves last?
Fenugreek leaves, if stored in a cool and dry place, have a shelf life of about six months. The seeds of fenugreek plant were formerly used as a yellow dye.How do you preserve Kasuri methi?
When stored in a cool, dry location at room temperature, the Kasuri Methi will comfortably last you at least a month. You may then move it to your refrigerator to increase its shelf life by another six months.Can we dry methi leaves in a microwave?
Place them in a sieve to dry. When the water dries up, place the leaves in a microwave safe bowl. Place the tray inside the microwave and roast for 3 minutes on maximum temperature. After 3 minutes, take the tray out and flip the leaves.More answers regarding what is the procedure to dry out Fenugreek leaves?
Answer 2
You could also put them in your oven on it's lowest setting with the door cracked slightly. An overnight trip in the oven this way would dry them out I think. Also, something to think about is freeze-drying the herbs with something like dry-ice pellets. Liquid nitrogen would be best but that's not as easy to get.
Answer 3
Alton Brown had a great idea to dry out herbs with a fan and some air filters. You can probably substitute any similar products that you find around your house:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/drying-herbs/1278.html
Fan drying should not affect your herbs in any way if you do it right.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Monstera, Mikhail Nilov, John Diez, John Diez