How To Dry Parsley - The Kitchen Herbs

Parsley is one of the hardest herbs to dry successfully because its fresh flavor is hard to preserve. Since it is a year-round herb, it may be easier to keep it growing in your garden rather than dry for use in the winter. See how to grow parsley to learn about succession planting.

However, if you have an excess of cut parsley or are harvesting your plant at the end of its two-year growing cycle then you can dry it for long-term storage.

Most herbs are best dried without using excessive heat, but it is particularly important for parsley, which has a delicate flavor that is very easily lost during the drying process.

The best methods for drying fresh parsley are either to air dry it naturally, or to use a dehydrator on the lowest setting.

How to dry parsley at home

Step 1: Prepare parsley for drying

Whichever method you will use, the parsley needs to be prepared before drying:

1. First, inspect the parsley, and discard any damaged or discolored leaves.
2. Then rinse it in cool water – swish the parsley in a bowl of water, then lift into a colander to drain.
3. Gently dry the parsley either using a salad spinner, or by patting dry with paper towels.
4. Trim to remove the thicker stems.

3 Methods for drying

1: Baking tray

All you need to do is lay the parsley in a single layer between two sheets of parchment on a baking tray. Then, leave the tray in a warm dry position undisturbed until it has dried out.

Parchment paper is ideal for drying herbs. The type of paper you use is important; coated baking papers or waxed papers will not work. You can also use paper towels.

1. Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with parchment or paper towels.
2. Cut the parsley leaves from the stems, you can roughly chop them if you like. Then lay them in a single layer on the parchment, and cover with another sheet of parchment.
3. Leave the tray undisturbed in a warm place until the parsley has dried out (approx 7-10 days).

It is important that the air can circulate while the parsley is drying, so don’t cover it with anything other than the parchment paper.

2. Hang up bunches

If you have a lot of parsley to dry, then hanging it in bunches is a good technique to use.

1. Tie the prepared parsley into small bunches with twine.
2. Loosely cover the herb bunch with a large paper bag to keep the dust off.
3. Then hang the bunches upside down in a warm place where they won’t be disturbed until dry (1-2 weeks or longer).
4. They need good air flow, so don’t hang them up in a cupboard.

3. Use a dehydrator

A faster method is to use a dehydrator.

1. Cut the parsley leaves from the stems, and place them in a single layer on the dehydrator racks.
2. Set the dehydrator to the lowest setting (95°F/ 35ºC or lower if possible) and dry for 2-4 hours, checking on progress occasionally. The time it will take to dehydrate will depend on how much parsley you are drying.

Check that the herbs are dry

Once the parsley is dry, you can check whether all the moisture is gone by gently crushing a few of the leaves between your fingers. If they crumble easily then it is fully dried. If they bend or do not crumble easily, then they require more drying time.

Store

Store the dried parsley in air-tight containers in a cool, dry, and dark place. If you used a dehydrator to dry it, allow it to cool completely before storing it, to prevent condensation forming in the storage jar.

Remember to date and label the jars. Use within one year. Periodically check your stored herbs for moisture or mold.

For more info see our article on storing dried herbs correctly.