Is it possible to dry parsley for the winter? How to dry parsley at home - dried herbs and parsley root for the winter

To use parsley in cooking in winter, you need to prepare it for future use. Good way- drying. This review will tell you how to properly dry parsley for the winter at home. Step by step recipe with photo. Video recipe.
Recipe contents:

Parsley is one of the most popular herbs. In the summer, when the shelves are full of fresh herbs, few people think that in winter they will be very expensive. And those who care about its safety for future use mainly dry it. This is the most popular method for storing greens for the winter. Healthy and aromatic spicy greens in winter will enrich any food with vitamins and improve its taste. Parsley contains a lot of iron, phosphorus, calcium, and essential oils. It is rich in carotene, vitamins C and group B. Therefore, we will learn how to dry parsley for the winter at home. The parsley drying method does not require special effort, the finished product takes up little space and is easy to store.

• For drying, choose parsley with uncoarsened stems and tender leaves.
• The greens should be fresh, not wilted, without yellowed leaves or rotten stems.
• If the parsley has been standing in water, then it is not suitable for drying. The greens are heavily saturated with water, which will make it difficult to dry. Sellers use this method to prolong and improve the presentation of not quite fresh greens.
• It is collected from our own garden in dry weather. It will be difficult to dry such parsley.
• You need to collect parsley for drying before flowering - before the leaves become coarse.
• Refined seasonings are made from various dried herbs, combining all kinds.
• If several herbs are dried at the same time, then this should be done away from each other so that the aromas do not mix.

• Calorie content per 100 g - 252 kcal.
• Number of servings - any quantity
• Cooking time - 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• Parsley - any quantity

Step-by-step preparation of dried parsley for the winter at home, recipe with photo:

1. Sort the parsley stems, removing yellowed and wilted leaves. Cut off some of the bottom of the branches and rinse the greens thoroughly cold water.

2. Place the parsley on a cotton towel and leave to dry from the water. To speed up the process, blot the top with a paper towel.

3. Chop the water-dried branches and parsley leaves.

4. Place it on a baking sheet and place it in a preheated oven at 50 degrees for 1-1.5 hours. Stir the greens occasionally. Although greens can be dried in the sun. But it is better not to use this method, because... Sun rays destroy chlorophyll, causing the dried leaves to turn yellowish. In addition, drying in the sun disappears essential oils.

5. Determine the readiness of dried herbs by touch: when squeezed, they will crumble. Place dried parsley in a glass container with a lid and store in a dry, dark and cool place for 1 year.

Greens from greenhouses are almost devoid of vitamins and microelements, since they grew under artificial light and not in open ground, but on special substrates. But it is “rich” in nitrates and other chemicals, which are generously used by producers to increase productivity.

Unlike the greenhouse, properly prepared garden parsley preserves healing properties all winter and is not capable of harming the body.

Ways to store fresh parsley in season

Even in season, not each of us has the opportunity to collect fresh parsley from the garden every day. Greens brought from the dacha or purchased at the market have to be stored for a long time. So that she doesn't lose nutritional value, has not withered or deteriorated, you must avoid:

• bright sunlight, from which herbs turn yellow and lose vitamins;
• excess moisture leading to rotting of the product;
• excessive loss of water from leaves;
• access to oxygen, causing oxidative processes (the appearance of brown spots, withered appearance of greenery).

There are several simple and effective ways keep parsley fresh:

A month is a long time when it comes to storing such a delicate product as fresh herbs, but this is not enough for winter preparations. Nevertheless, I would like to save a “piece of summer” for the cold days.


Next, we’ll tell you how best to keep parsley fresh for the winter, so as not to deprive yourself and your loved ones of the vitamin seasoning.

Freezing herbs for the winter

This method allows you to preserve the original taste, appearance and nutritional value of parsley as much as possible. After defrosting, whole branches can be used to decorate ready-made dishes, and chopped greens can be added to salads, meat, fish and first courses.

parsley, like other herbs, does not tolerate repeated exposure low temperatures. It needs to be frozen in small portions, “at a time,” even if we are talking about a bunch.

"Everything in a bundle"

Indeed, whole sprigs of parsley store well, freeze easily, and are universal in use.

First, fresh greens are washed, freed from debris, and stems with roots that are too long are cut off.

Parsley can be soaked in a bowl of salt water for 15 – 20 minutes. This way it will be cleansed of nitrates and pathogens. The grass is then washed under the tap.

Dry the wet greens with a paper towel, lay them out on a dry surface and let them sit for a while, turning them regularly so that excess moisture evaporates. At the same time, the branches should not fade.

Storing finely chopped parsley

Having prepared the greens as in the previous recipe, chop them with a knife, put them in a container and freeze them.

The scattering must be dry so that it does not stick together at low temperatures into an unappetizing lump. For the same reason, it is not recommended to grind it in a food processor - instead of neat pieces you will get “porridge” with big amount unnecessary juice.

Chopped parsley is convenient to sprinkle on prepared dishes.

Green ice cubes

Parsley, frozen in cubes, is often used to season soups.

It is not difficult to prepare these semi-finished products: a few pinches of greens are placed in special molds, filled with water and sent to the freezer.

It is enough to throw an ice cube into the boiling soup for the parsley to immediately thaw, giving the first dish its unique aroma.

Instead of water, you can take butter: melted butter, olive or sunflower. Subsequently, the briquettes with fat are thrown into a frying pan and used to fry vegetables or meat.

Freezing parsley in cling film

Portion freezing is convenient when the housewife does not need a large amount of parsley at one time.

Prepared whole branches are tightly wrapped in cling film and rewound with thread. Rubber bands are also good for fixing.

If necessary, part of the film is turned away, the required amount of parsley is cut off, and the rest is repacked.

In the garden

The method is suitable for those who live in their own home and grow greens in the garden.

Some of the parsley can be left in the garden bed in the fall, marking the place where it grows with pegs. It will be covered with snow, and in this form the parsley will go away for the winter.

When you cook soup or stew meat, just go out into the garden. Dig up the snow and pick a few sprigs of frozen greens. Don't forget to cover the bed with snow again.

This method is a little risky, since there are winters without snow and there are thaws. However, you can always keep your finger on the pulse and in case of force majeure you will have time to send the greens to the freezer.

Dried parsley is a worthy alternative to freezing

If for some reason it is not possible to store greens in the freezer, you should dry them. The seasoning processed in this way is compact in storage, and also contains almost all the vitamins and mineral salts that fresh parsley is rich in.
You can dry herbs in the following ways:

• on open air;
• in the oven;
• in the microwave;
• in a dryer for vegetables and fruits.

Air drying

During natural dehydration, parsley with dense leaves is cleaned of rotten parts and foreign matter, thoroughly washed and dried with paper towels.

During drying, the grass is protected from direct sunlight, which destroys chlorophyll. Chopped parsley must be turned over regularly and the bunches tossed to avoid mold or rotting.

The drying process takes up to 7 days.

Oven drying

Happens much faster, however Some beneficial substances are destroyed under the influence of high temperatures.

The leaves, peeled from the stems, are scattered on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sent to the oven, preheated to 45 - 50ºС. There is no need to close the door to allow moisture to escape. Move the leaves periodically, otherwise they may burn.

How to properly store dried parsley at home

Well-dried leaves are easily separated from the stems and crumble when squeezed. The resulting seasoning is poured into glass jars with tight-fitting lids or paper bags lined with foil on the inside.

It is better to store parsley in a dry, dark place., away from the stove or heating devices. She doesn't lose her taste and beneficial features within 2 years.

Fresh parsley preparations

Freezing is not the only way to store garden herbs at low temperatures.

Parsley drenched in vegetable oil

The leaves are washed and finely chopped, and then poured into glass jars, lightly compacting the mass. Then the container is gradually filled with refined vegetable oil, making sure that no air bubbles form.

Attention!

Parsley should be covered by at least 1 cm to prevent mold from forming.

The oil is poured in portions - then it fills the gaps between the greens as much as possible.

The jars are closed with plastic, or even better, vacuum lids and stored either in the cellar or in the refrigerator at +7ºС.

Pickling

Parsley is chopped and placed in pre-sterilized jars, sprinkled with layers of coarse salt.

Greens and preservatives are taken in a ratio of 5:1, respectively.

Salted parsley is stored in the same way as when prepared with vegetable oil.

Used as a dressing for soups and main courses.

Parsley in marinade

Recipe No. 1

• 1 bunch of fresh parsley;
• ½ liter of water;
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 2 tbsp. l. coarse salt;
• Bay leaf;
• 2 – 3 cloves of garlic;
• 4 tbsp. l. vinegar.

1. Chop the washed and thoroughly dried parsley.
2. Place garlic and bay leaves at the bottom of sterilized jars. Fill the containers tightly with herbs and fill them with hot brine.
3. To make the marinade, mix water with salt and sugar, bring to a boil, pour in vinegar and immediately remove from heat.
4. We sterilize the filled jars for 15 minutes at a temperature of 90 – 95ºС.
5. We roll it up, wrap it warmly and set it to cool.

Ready preserves can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 6 months.

Recipe No. 2

• a bunch of parsley;
• 1 tbsp. l. with a top of coarse salt;
• 1 l. water.

1. Fill sterilized jars with herbs as in the previous recipe. Fill the leaves with saline solution heated to 80ºC and leave to ferment for 2 – 3 days. Don't forget to remove the foam from time to time.
2. We seal the jars with plastic lids and store them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator at above-zero temperatures.

Jars of herbs can be immediately sterilized as described above and rolled up. For taste, celery greens and dill are added to the parsley.

This preparation is stored for 3 – 4 months.

Let's sum it up

In order for parsley preparations to be stored well for the winter and bring maximum benefit, it is important to adhere to three rules:

1. Greens must be clean and dry.
2. You only need to use leaves without thick parts of the stem.
3. We freeze in portions.
4. Vacuum packaging allows for longer storage of herbs.

Cook for yourself and your loved ones with love, and you will save the most valuable thing - health.

Useful video

Another original way: Freeze greens in a plastic bottle.

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In summer, few people think about the fact that in winter parsley will cost, although not worth its weight in gold, much more.

Well, those who care about the safety of parsley for future use most often dry it. After all, in winter, aromatic and healthy, these 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 uncoarsened stems is suitable for drying.

If greens are bought at the market, they should not be wilted, yellowed, or with rotten stems.

Parsley that has stood in water is not suitable for drying (many sellers do this to give the greenery a marketable appearance). Such greens are heavily saturated with water and therefore will not dry well.

If parsley grows in your own garden, then it is collected in dry weather, since such parsley will be easier to dry.

Parsley stems are sorted and wilted and yellowed leaves are removed. Trim the bottom of the branches a little.

The greens are thoroughly washed in cold water: first in a bowl and then under running water.

Place the parsley on a cotton towel to dry thoroughly from the water. To speed up the process, blot the greens on top with a paper towel.

How to dry parsley in bunches

Dried sprigs of parsley are connected in several pieces and made into small loose “bouquets”, tying them with thread or grabbing them with an elastic band. They are hung by a stretched rope “upside down” in a draft, but avoiding direct sunlight.

Although greens dry faster in the sun and some people often use this, it is better not to use this method. Firstly, the sun's rays destroy chlorophyll, and this causes the dried leaves to turn yellowish. And secondly, due to drying in the sun, the essential oils for which these greens are valued disappear.

Parsley on fresh air dries in two to seven days. It all depends on weather conditions, room temperature, and air humidity.

When the leaves are completely dry and break easily when pressed, you can finish drying.

The bunches are removed from the rope and threshed, that is, freed from the stems.

Then the leaves are crushed. To better preserve the raw materials, they can be further dried by laying them out on a baking sheet or tray.

Dry parsley is poured into a glass jar with a lid and stored in a dry, dark, cool place.

The shelf life of parsley is 1 year.

How to dry parsley in the oven

If weather conditions do not allow you to air dry the parsley, you can dry it in the oven.

To make parsley dry faster, it is best to dry it without the stems. Therefore, all the leaves of the prepared parsley are torn off. The baking sheet is covered with parchment. The greens are spread on it in a thin layer.

Place the greens in an oven heated to 45-50° and dry with the door ajar so that the greens do not steam.
The parsley is periodically tossed to dry evenly.

The drying time can last up to several hours, but the process cannot be accelerated so that the raw material does not burn or turn brown.

Parsley can also be dried in chopped form.

To do this, chop the parsley together with thin stems, lay it out in one layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment, and put it in the oven. They are also dried at a temperature of 45-50°.

Well-dried raw materials crumble easily.

Properly dried parsley is green in color. The smell is spicy, the taste is slightly bitter.

Recipe for the occasion::

Chopped parsley is stored in glass jars with a screw-on lid to prevent the aroma from escaping. Store in a dry, well-ventilated area.

How to dry root parsley

Along with parsley, root parsley can also be dried.

They dig it up in the same way as carrots.

Parsley is a well-known culinary herb used in preparing various dishes. It improves the taste of dishes and gives them a special aroma.

Parsley contains: iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, folic acid and vitamins: A, C, PP, B1, B2. Common ways to preserve nutrients are drying and freezing. The simplest and most practical way is drying. In addition, dried herbs do not take up much space.

You can dry parsley in two ways: in the fresh air or using equipment: electric dryer, oven, microwave and convection oven. Each housewife chooses the drying method that is more convenient for her.

The longest drying method is air drying. Depending on the weather and how the herb is cut (finely or coarsely), the cooking time for dry parsley can take anywhere from 5 days to two weeks. When using technology, drying time is significantly reduced and can take from 20 minutes to two hours.

I find it more convenient to dry parsley in the oven, so I suggest you consider this option for preparing greens.

Let's prepare the main ingredient of the recipe - parsley. It is better to cut it in dry weather.

We sort through the cut greens, removing yellowed or limp branches. Shorten the stem and rinse the parsley well in cool water. Then shake off excess moisture, spread in a thin layer on paper towels and let dry. To speed up the drying process, you can blot the parsley with a towel.

Separate the leaves from the stem and chop them to dry faster. If you wish, you can chop the stems of the plant, but I don’t do this.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the chopped herbs on it in a thin layer.

Place the baking sheet in the oven, preheated to 40-50 degrees. Leave the oven door slightly open so that the parsley does not steam. Dry the greens for one and a half to two hours (depend on your oven), stirring the contents of the pan from time to time. My parsley dried out in 2 hours.

The readiness of parsley is very easy to determine by touch. To do this, take a little greenery from the baking sheet in your hand and squeeze it; the well-dried parsley will crumble.

The dried parsley is ready, pour it into a glass jar, close it with a tight lid and store it in a dry, dark place.

Almost any dish can be given good color and a pleasant aroma by adding spices. In our climate zone, dill, parsley and other fragrant plants readily grow. Although these herbs can now be easily purchased throughout the year, it is better to prepare them during the growing season on domestic soil. They will provide a richer taste and aroma than their “fresh counterparts” from supermarket shelves grown in greenhouse conditions. Moreover, the harvesting process will not take much time and effort, especially if you remove moisture from leaf parsley in the dryer.

Ingredients:

Fresh parsley leaves.

How to properly dry parsley in a dryer

Parsley leaves intended for drying should be not rough, fresh, green with thin petioles. The greens should be thoroughly washed, wilted and yellowed leaves, random weeds and other debris should be removed.

Since the petioles at the base of the root are thicker, they take longer to dry, so they either need to be dried separately from the leaves or thrown away, for which the stalks are cut off from a bunch of parsley.

The remaining greens are cut into pieces 3-5 centimeters long and laid out in a loose layer on the drying tray.

If the dryer is equipped with a thermostat, then the temperature is set at 50 degrees. It is recommended to swap the trays about once an hour to ensure uniform and simultaneous drying of the parsley.

After the leaves have dried, they should be brittle and without a hint of moisture. Well-dried parsley turns into a fine powder when rubbed between your fingers. After turning off the dryer, the parsley leaves should cool, but they should not be left for a long time, otherwise they will become soft. You can store dried leaf parsley in a container or in a plastic bag sealed with a ZIP-LOCK in its “original form” - cut into pieces. I believe that it is better to grind the dried leaves for later use and storage. To do this, use a food processor or mortar and pestle. Important! You should chop freshly dried parsley, which has barely cooled after drying. If it manages to get damp, then it will not be possible to grind it, large pieces will remain.

It is better to store ground, dried parsley in a glass container, tightly closed with a lid, which should preferably be kept in the refrigerator. It is recommended to make a mixture of several herbs. Good composition obtained from dill, onions and garlic, parsley and celery. You can also prepare a mixture to improve the taste of second courses by adding spice plants dried and ground tomatoes, carrots, sweet peppers, heads of garlic and onions (it is better to grind these ingredients in a coffee grinder). In the refrigerator, ground parsley dried in a dryer will stand quietly for two years, but over time the aroma will weaken, and therefore it is better to prepare such a homemade seasoning for a year. If there is no special dryer in the house, then the parsley prepared as described above is dried outside in hot weather in the shade or in an oven with a temperature set at 40-50 degrees. Fragrant and delicious dishes to you! Bon appetit!