In the summer, few people think about the fact that in the winter parsley will cost, though not worth its weight in gold, but much more expensive.
Well, those who care about the preservation of parsley for the future, most often it is dried. After all, in winter, fragrant and healthy, this spicy greens will not only enrich any dish with vitamins, but also improve its taste.
How to prepare parsley for drying
Parsley with tender leaves and unrupted stems is good for drying.
If the greens are bought in the market, it should not be wilted, yellowed, with rotten stalks.
Parsley, which was in the water, is not suitable for drying (as many sellers do in order to give the greenery a marketable appearance). Such greens are very saturated with water and therefore it will be bad to dry.
If parsley grows in its own garden, then it is collected in dry weather, since such parsley will be easier to dry.
Parsley stalks are sorted out, remove the withered and yellowed leaves. Slightly cut the lower part of the twigs.
Greens thoroughly washed in cold water: first in a bowl, and then under running water.
Spread parsley on a cotton towel so that it dries well from water. To speed up the process, the greens are soaked over with a paper towel.
How to dry parsley in bunches
Dried sprigs of parsley combine several pieces together and make small loose “bunches”, tying them with a string or intercepting them with an elastic band. They are hung up by a stretched rope “upside down” in a draft, but avoiding direct sunlight. Although the greens dries faster in the sun and some people often use this, it is better not to use this method. First, the sun's rays destroy chlorophyll, and from this dried leaves become yellowish. And secondly, because of drying in the sun, essential oils evaporate, for which this green is valued.
Parsley in the fresh air dries from two to seven days. It all depends on weather conditions, the temperature in the room, as well as humidity.
When the leaves are completely dry and when pressed they will break easily, drying can be completed.
The bundles are removed from the rope and threshed, that is, freed from the stems.
Then the leaves are crushed. For better preservation of raw materials, they can be further dried by spreading them on a baking sheet or tray.
Dry parsley poured into a glass jar with a lid and clean in a dry, dark, cool place.
The parsley shelf life is 1 year.
How to dry parsley in the oven
If weather conditions do not allow parsley to dry in the air, it can be dried in the oven.
To parsley dried faster, it is best to dry without stalks. Therefore, the prepared parsley break off all the leaves. Baking sheet covered with parchment. On it spread greens with a thin layer.
Put the greens in the oven, heated to 45-50 °, and dried with the door ajar so that the greens are not steamed.
Parsley periodically agitate for uniform drying.
Drying time may take up to several hours, but it is impossible to speed up the process so that the raw materials do not get burnt or browned.
Parsley can be dried and cut. To do this, chop the parsley together with thin stalks, lay out in one layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment, and put it in the oven. Also dried at a temperature of 45-50 °.
Well dried raw material crumbles easily.
The color of properly dried parsley is green. The smell is spicy, taste with a slight bitterness.
Chopped parsley is stored in glass jars with a screw lid, so as not to evaporate the flavor. Store in a dry, well-ventilated area.
How to dry the root parsley
On par with parsley can be dried and root parsley.
They dig it up just like carrots.
The roots are cut tops and small roots. Roots washed in cold water. The skin is usually not cut, but only slightly scraped off the upper layer.
Dried from water, laid out on a cotton towel.
Then the parsley roots are cut into thin slices or straws.
They are laid out on a parchment tray laid with parchment and lightly dried in a draft.
Put the pan in the oven and dry the cutting at a temperature of 35-40 °. The door is kept ajar.
Store root parsley in paper bags or canvas bags in a dry, dark, well-ventilated area.
How to use dried parsley
Dry parsley has a more pronounced taste and aroma than fresh. Therefore, it should be used in dishes very moderately, literally on a pinch, adding at the very end of cooking.
