How To Dehydrate Parsley + Parsley Powder

I’ve been wanting to show you how to dehydrate parsley for a very long time. And while I’m at it I will show you how to make parsley powder. This herb is actually one of the easiest food items you can dehydrate.

I wish you could smell my house with my dehydrator drying this fresh parsley, oh my goodness. A little piece of heavenly scent in my home right now.

You know we can buy those small jars of parsley powder at our local grocery stores, but we really don’t know how long it’s been sitting on the shelf. I have a Costco container of parsley, and yes, I use it for soups, etc. But if you grow parsley, which is really easy, you can dry your own.

Today, I bought two different kinds of fresh parsley, Italian flat-leaf parsley, and curly-leaf parsley. I’m growing both, but they aren’t ready to harvest yet. In case you missed this post, 15 Tips for Buying Your First Dehydrator

How To Dehydrate Parsley

Kitchen Items Needed

• Colander
• Excalibur Dehydrator or Nesco Dehydrator or your oven
• FoodSaver
• FoodSaver Lid Sealer w/Accessory Hose
• Mason quart-size, or pint-size jars, or these jars I used today:  16-Ounce Jars with Clamp
• Magic Blender or High-Powered Blender

How To Dehydrate Parsley

Step One

This bunch of parsley is called Curly-Leaf, which has a mild taste compared to the robust Italian Flat-leaf variety. I like both types so I’m dehydrating both to give me options when cooking. The first thing you do is cut off the stems as far up the branch as you can. The stems are too tough to dehydrate and use as an herb or powder.

Step Two

This one is the Italian Flat-Leaf parsley, Like I said, it has a more robust flavor. Cut the stems off, so you can rinse both types of parsley with cool water. I use a stainless steel colander. It’s easy to rinse them if the stems are cut off.

Step Three

The picture below is the Curly-Leaf Parsley, which I’m rinsing with cool water. You see the difference of the leaves, I hope. They truly are a curly leaf.

You will see this type of parsley being used with jello salads or serving with some fresh fruit at restaurants. I actually like the look of it and the fact that this one has a mild flavor of parsley.

Step Four

I’m rinsing the Italian Flat-Leaf parsley here in a stainless steel colander. I wish you could smell my kitchen, it smells so good. The leaves are flat, as you can see.

Step Five

If you have a clean towel, I recommend spreading the rinsed off parsley and letting it drain, or dry, a bit on it. After about an hour it will be ready to put in the dehydrator.

Step Six

I have an Excalibur Dehydrator and it states to set the temperature at 95 degrees. Please check your brand for the correct temperature. Shown below is the Curly-Leaf parsley.

Step Seven

Below is the Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley ready to go into the dehydrator.

Step Eight

I cut off as many of the stems that were inside the leafy parts of both parsleys. You have to be really patient, I cut off as many as my patience could tolerate.

Step Nine

The time it takes to fully dry will depend on the humidity of the room where you are drying it. These took about 2 hours in my kitchen today.

Step Ten

How To Condition Your Fruit or Vegetables

If you live where it is HUMID: “To condition the fruit, take the dried fruit that has cooled and pack it loosely in plastic or glass jars. Seal the containers and let them stand for 7 to 10 days.

The excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by the drier pieces. Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check the moisture condensation.” https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/pack_store.html

I live in the DRY DESERT: I set my fruit and vegetables on my countertop for 5-7 days. Ten days is even better to make sure everything is dry before using your FoodSaver unit.

Step Eleven

We tried using the Magic Bullet, but ended up using my Vitamix Blender to make the powder smoother. It’s hard to believe that those 3 sprigs can powder down to about 1/4 cup. Please let the powder “settle down” a bit in the container before opening it or you will have powder all over you. Just want to give you the heads up.

Step Twelve

When you are ready to make the parsley powder, it must be totally dry. If you live where it is humid I would do it rather quickly because it may absorb moisture from the room.

I let mine “condition” before I make the powder. The color is a beautiful shade of green and it smells so good!

Clarification On How To Store:

I only use the FoodSaver with the accessory hose on my DEHYDRATED Fruits and Vegetables, NOT the powders. It will ruin your hose.

If you need fruit powder jars, these are very similar to mine: 16-Ounce Jars with Clamp

How To Dehydrate Parsley and Make Powder

How can I use dehydrated parsley?

This one is pretty easy because so many of us use dried parsley in a container from the store. The only difference is that when you dehydrate your own, it is much fresher.

The next time you visit the baking section of your local grocery store, look at the various brands of parsley jars. You will see many different shades of green. The darker the green color, it’s most likely the freshest jar on the shelf.

How do I use parsley powder?

What I like about the powder is that I can sprinkle it over chicken or fish before baking. The bonus is you need very little because a little goes a long way. If you make your own salad dressings you can add some to the bottle for extra flavor and health benefits.

You can add it to your green juice in the morning for extra vitamins. Of course, any pasta dish is fabulous with parsley.

Can I dehydrate these in my oven?

Yes, you can. Set your oven to the lowest temperature available. Place a ball of foil to keep the oven door ajar. You will need to check them every 15 minutes or so because they will dry very fast.

Health Benefits of Parsley

Parsley contains several important nutrients, vitamins A, K, and C. It’s also a good source of the minerals iron, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. And it’s low-calorie and adds flavor to many recipes.

Final Word

Please let me know if you dehydrate parsley, I would love to hear how you use it. It’s all about teaching skills to our kids and grandkids. Dehydrating our bounty will save us money in the long run. Plus, we know what is in the jar, right? May God Bless this world, Linda