How to Dry Parsley at Home: 5 Easy Methods for Drying Parsley

Parsley is a popular herb used in recipes as both an ingredient and a garnish. The flavor is clean, peppery, and slightly bitter, with some earthiness. It’s commonly used in savory dishes, as the bitter and peppery taste works well with umami flavors.

You can use parsley fresh or dried, however, dried herbs are typically more flavorful as they release essential oils as they break down. Fresh parsley, whether from the garden or the grocery store, will also only last a week or two, whereas dried parsley can be kept for several months, up to a year.

There are many kinds of parsley, including French curly leaf parsley, Italian flat-leaf parsley, and root parsley. Curly leaf is commonly used as a garnish for vegetables, meat, rice, and fish dishes. Flat-leaf parsley has flat leaves, like cilantro. Flat-leaf parsley can be used as a garnish or a flavoring for stocks, soups, and stews. It’s also responsible for the green color of falafel and replaces basil as the traditional ingredient in picada, a type of cheeseless pesto. The third primary kind of parsley, root parsley, is used as a vegetable in soups and stews. The leaves of all three types of parsley can be dried.

If you find yourself with extra parsley, here’s how to dry it to use later.

1. 1. Oven-drying: Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Using cold water, wash the fresh parsley and remove any tough, woody bits of stem. Roughly chop the parsley into ¼-inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water for thirty seconds. Arrange the parsley in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the parsley crumbles easily, about two to four hours, checking occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn. Crush the parsley using a mortar and pestle, removing any remaining stalks.
2. 2. Air-drying: Loosely tie parsley into small bundles using twine or rubber bands. Make sure that the parsley isn’t too tightly packed, so that the leafier portions can fan out while drying. Place the bundles in brown paper bags and poke a few holes in the bags to allow air to circulate. Store in a cool, dry place. Alternatively, hang the parsley bundles upside-down in the kitchen, without the paper bags. After about two weeks, crumble the bunches and remove the stems. This process works best in dry climates and may not work in humid climates.
3. 3. Dehydrating: If you’re lucky enough to have access to a food dehydrator, this is by far the easiest method for drying parsley. Rinse the parsley under cold water, remove the stems, and chop the parsley into roughly ¼-inch pieces. Using a fine-mesh sieve, blanch the parsley in boiling water for thirty seconds. Spread the pieces out on drying trays and dehydrate according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Many dehydrators have an herb setting.
4. 4. Microwaving: Dehydrate parsley in a pinch by arranging clean, dry parsley in a single layer on a paper plate. Microwave the parsley one minute at a time until it crumbles easily in your hands. If the parsley turns dark or begins to smoke, remove it from the microwave before it burns further.
5. 5. Sun-drying: If you enjoy DIY projects, make a solar dehydrator for your parsley. Start by thoroughly cleaning old window screens, then cut the screens to fit over a large rimmed baking sheet. This allows air to circulate underneath the parsley. Place clean, dry parsley in a single layer on top of the screen and baking sheet. Set your solar dehydrator on a porch, on a big windowsill, or in any other brightly lit, warm area. Check the parsley throughout the day, turning occasionally. On a dry, sunny day, your parsley may dry in just a few hours.

Store dried parsley flakes in an airtight container in a cool, dark location in your kitchen, or the freezer. Like all dried herbs, dried parsley will begin to lose its flavor after a few months.

This small, green flake is an easy addition to meals.

1. 1. Italian dishes: Try mixing dried parsley and dried oregano into homemade tomato sauce, or use it as a garnish on your favorite pasta dish.
2. 2. French food: Parsley is one of the components of the French herb blend known as fines herbes and it’s also used in bouquet garni, an herb bundle used to flavor soups and stocks. Although both of these preparations typically call for fresh herbs, dried parsley will work as well, and some people even prefer dried fines herbes.
3. 3. Dressings and marinades: The peppery taste of dried parsley pairs well with greens like arugula and light seafood mains, so try mixing it into a simple vinaigrette or dry rub.
4. 4. Soups and stews: Dried parsley can help bring out umami flavors, making it a great flavoring for earthy soups and stews.
5. 5. Meatballs: Try adding plenty of dried parsley to ground lamb or beef for Mediterranean-flavored meatballs.

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