Can You Dry Herbs In A Food Dehydrator?

Hi, Sweet Friends!

The harvest is coming in and the herbs have had their first cutting. I have enough herbs for use fresh and dry some for later use. So, I was asked, "Can you dry herbs in a food dehydrator?" The answer is YES! 

 You must lay them in and around the trays so the air can flow between and around the herbs. I have some photos to see how I have laid out Oregano, Cilantro, Basil, Sage, and Chives all in one batch in the dehydrator. 

 The lid keeps the heat in and the moisture out.

 This tray holds a mix of Cilantry, Sage, and Chives for Salsa I'm making.

 This tray holds Oregano. They are so tiny that I kept the stems on. They dry enough that the leaves fall off the stems very easily when removing them after drying.

 This tray holds Sage.

 This tray holds Basil. Basil has the most moisture, so I put this tray on the bottom and remove the other trays as they are dried. Then I add more time to the Basil as needed.

 This tray holds the chives. Don't cut the chives before you dry them. They break very easily if you gather them together in your hand and break them into sections or cut them.

Since the timing for each is different, I kept checking them about every 20-30 minutes. Total time for the basil was 2 hours and it was perfectly dried. We do live in the desert, so the moisture in the house is like 2%. It will vary in timing if you are on the coasts or in a humid climate. Just make sure you check. The herbs can "over dry" and taste burnt. Take my word on this one!

I have used the Food Dehydrator before for many foods, fruits, and veggie chips. I am making some furit leather from plums this year, but that is another post.

I've been dehydrating since 2002. I love the ease of this type of dehydrator from Weston. We have had 2 of this same style and brand.

Weston 75-0601-W 4-Tier Food Dehydrator

 

 This food dehydrator has a 5 star rating! 

We love ours and have made everything from jerkey to fruit leather in it.

Have a Terrific Weekend!

Enjoy!

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