Today I gave the parsley a "hair cut". I brought the clipped herbs inside to dry for winter use.
There are many ways to dry, and even freeze, herbs. All are very easy, so there is no reason to let the plants go to waste after their growing time ends.
The easiest way is to simply put them in bundles and secure with strings or rubber bands, then hang the bundles in a cool dark space if you have one. If you don't have a dark space, then cover with a paper bag (which also helps to keep them clean).
Judging by the amount of cobwebs in my house, I decided against hanging and dug out the food dehydrator. I set it on low, and will turn it off tonight because I am not sure how long it will take for the parsley to dry. If the parsley hasn't dried enough, then I will turn the dehydrator back on tomorrow morning and keep an eye on it. It should not take too long because the herb is not a dense plant. Drying time all depends on how much moisture is in the plant.
The pictures show two ways that I approached drying. The first was to pull the flat heads off to make parsley flakes. That was pretty time consuming. The next two racks got the full sprigs; I am thinking that maybe after the sprigs have dried I can crumble them off the stems.
This, my friends, is called an 'experiment'....(another way of excusing my laziness, LOL).
Another way to dry herbs is to spread them on flat sheets (like cookie sheets or jelly roll pans) and put them in a warm oven. Keep the oven door ajar to let air circulate.
Next up: basil. I already put a batch in the freezer last month, as freezing is the best way to preserve it. Now is the time to finish off the plants, as they are about done with their life cycle. I may keep a small amount and bring in the house just to see how much longer they will live. Another experiment! But that is how we learn, eh?
Marcheta *putting on her Mad Scientist Hat
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