Drying Herbs in Microwave

Tips for Drying Herbs in Microwave

Herbs are and have always been essential parts of cooking. They give a great taste even to the most simple dishes.

Most herbs are easy to find, but many times the dried ones sold at supermarkets are too old and because of that they have already lost most of their taste.

Fresh herbs are always better, but in the winter almost no herbs survive. Drying herbs at home can be annoying and hard, because it takes a lot of space and it's also not so hygienic because of the dust and so on.

However, if you really want to have your own homemade dried herbs, here are some good news for you: now you can make your own dried herbs in no time using the microwave.

There are some herbs that are better fresh because they lose their taste when they get dried, but there are many which are perfect and have a great taste even after the drying process. The ideal herbs for drying are marjoram, rosemary, bay, oregano and sage.

It's very simple and easy. When you collect the herbs, use a pair of scissors to cut them. Don't rip them, because the roots might come out as well.

After you have the herbs you want to dry, make sure that they are clean. Wash the herbs in cold water, but be careful: there should be any moist left on them when you start the drying.

If they aren't completely dry before you place them in the microwave, otherwise you will cook them. To avoid this, place the herbs between two paper towels and soak the water.

Check the leaves for bugs and insects, and cut all the yellow and dried leaves. Place the herbs on a paper plate, and make sure that you don't put too many herbs at once in the microwave. They shouldn't overlap each other on the plate.

You can also use paper towels, placing the herb on one layer and than covering it with another layer. If you want to dry a lot of herbs, make it in turns.

Using the highest power dry the herbs for about 2 minutes. After they are dried let them cool, pick the leaves, and place them in airtight containers. Keep them away from sunlight, in a cool dark dry place.

These will be higher quality than the ones in the supermarket. Use them in a year, because later they will probably lose their flavor, except sage. Sage will actually have a stronger taste when dried but the rest lose their essence in time. You can add the herbs to any food you like, just remember to add them at the end of the cooking process.

As you see drying herbs in microwave is fairly easy. It's definitely more convenient than the rest of the methods, mostly because it is done much much faster.

Make sure that you take extra care when drying herbs in microwave. Don't leave them for more than 2 minutes. You can check them later and if they are not done yet, put them back for 30 seconds more. If you leave the herbs for too long in the microwave, there is a chance that they will catch on fire.