How to dry herbs in air fryer? The process of drying herbs is a bit different from cooking food in your air fryer. Drying herbs usually require you to set the air fryer’s temperature between 125 and 200 degrees. The hot air circulates in and out of the air frying machine to remove moisture and dry the herb.
Many people use dehydrating machines to dry herbs. However, an air fryer is a much better device than a dehydrator because it offers various temperature settings. Experts recommend common kitchen tools like a mandolin to slice or cut the herbs before drying them in your air fryer.
How Does an Air Fryer Work?
An air fryer is an excellent kitchen appliance equipped with cutting-edge technology that uses hot air circulation inside a sealed chamber to cook the food at a specific temperature. People use air fryers to cook healthily and quickly without using too much oil compared to traditional deep frying machines that require a lot of oil to submerge the food.
Air fryers use the Millard reaction to cook food at a high temperature, leading to crispiness on the crust and tenderness in the core. Likewise, these convection ovens are easy to operate and clean, meaning you can disassemble the machine and reassemble it within a few minutes. However, it is crucial to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid complications.
Benefits of Air Fryer for Drying Herbs
Although you can buy dried herbs at a nearby grocery store, they are unhealthy and may increase the risk of diseases. That’s why it is better to dry your herbs using your air fryer, a much better, reliable, and healthy way to achieve your goals.
An air fryer offers the quickest method to dry herbs. Not only is an air fryer dry herbs healthily, but it also performs the task quickly, leading to energy conservations. Drying herbs in an air fryer means no added oil, no preservative, and you need a few minutes, usually between 3-7 minutes, to dry your herbs.
How to Dry Herbs in Air Fryer?
If you want to dry your herbs without cooking them, you will have to adjust your air fryer’s settings, particularly the temperature levels. The purpose is to ensure you dry the herbs by dehydrating them. So, the temperature must not go above 200 degrees when drying.
Some herbs require less than 150 degrees temperature, so find the information on each herb and set the temperature levels accordingly. You can’t use your air fryer to dry all of the herbs at 200 degrees because this is a bit higher. So, the temperature setting always depends on the type of herb you dry.
Experts recommend setting the temperature between 125 degrees and 150 degrees Fahrenheit when drying herbs in your air fryer. One of the primary benefits of using your air fryer is that you can always adjust the temperature settings when required. Make sure you have an air fryer with a dehydration option for herbs.
We recommend using a mandolin to chop or slice the herbs before drying them in your air fryer. The mandolin is an excellent kitchen tool you can use to produce perfect slices. It is crucial to ensure the herb is thinner enough. That way, you can dehydrate each piece and achieve your goal.
Likewise, avoid stacking the herb pieces or slices upon each other when using your air fryer for drying. Experts recommend placing the chunks or slices next to each other and keep some distance between each piece. That way, you can dehydrate the herbs properly. Remember, the drying time depends on the type of herb.
For example, some herbs may require hours to dehydrate appropriately, while others require a few minutes. It is crucial to get enough information on the type of herb you want to dry before carrying out the process. Otherwise, you can’t dry the herb and may damage the air fryer due to the wrong temperature settings. Let us give you an example of drying herbs in an air fryer.
Example – Dry Parsley in an Air Fryer
Drying parsley in an air fryer is different from drying basil leaves or any other herb. It requires you to preheat your air frying machine at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes. As mentioned above, most herbs do not require a temperature above 200 degrees. However, drying parsley is a bit different when it comes to temperature settings.
Anyway, start the process by washing the parsley under the tap water and use a salad spinner to dry the parsley. Then, place the herb on a paper towel to further release the moisture from the parsley. Now remove the stems from the herb and put the parsley in the basket of your air fryer.
You can use a trivet over the parsley to cover it and air fry the herb at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for about three minutes. Make sure you stir the parsley or shake the basket after 90 seconds.
After three minutes, remove the basket and place the parsley in a bowl for cooling. Make sure the herb cools before you crust it or store it. You can use dried parsley in a wide range of recipes.
Air fryers are a healthy alternative to dehydrators, allowing you to safely dry herbs and other food items. Air fryers do not require you to add chemicals or preservatives for drying purposes. That’s why we recommend investing in an air fryer instead of purchasing a dehydrating machine to save time, effort and lower energy consumption.
Dry Herbs in Air Fryer – Final Words
Instead of purchasing a dehydrator, you can use an air fryer that offers multiple functions, such as drying herbs, leaves, and other items. Although an air fryer has less for drying herbs than dehydrating machines, some products come with accessories that allow you to resolve this problem.
