Summer is quickly drawing to a close, with cold weather moving in to replace it. As I wrap up my garden for the year, I’d like to preserve some of the herbs that have grown gloriously during the warmer months. As I air-fried chicken nuggets the other day in my Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, I noticed a “dehydrate” button, and that got my wheels turning. I decided to learn how to dehydrate herbs in the air fryer. This process turned out to be simple, and I will definitely repeat it once more before the first frost.
Cutting the Herbs
In my garden I snipped sage, rosemary, dill and basil. The basil I will air dry, as I read that this herb is a little too tender to dehydrate. I brought in big bunches of all of them to wash at the kitchen sink, pat dry and lay out on towels to continue drying overnight.
The next day, I began dehydrating my herbs in batches. Starting with the rosemary, I removed the herb from any woody stems. I placed divided the rosemary and placed half under the basket rack and half on top (and did this with all of the following herbs).
I selected the dehydrate button on my air fryer, set the temperature to 150 degrees and started with one hour on the timer. The rosemary batch took about 3-1/2 hours, until all of the green color was gone and the overall texture was crispy. Occasionally, I shook the basket, like I would do when air frying fries.
All of my herbs were dehydrated in the same fashion and at the same temperature, but for various time spans. The sage dehydrated the quickest, at about an hour. The dill only took about 1-1/2 to 2 hours time. To store, place all herbs inside clean mason jars, and fitted with rings and lids. These are ready for culinary use over the winter, and beyond.
Jackie Baird Richardson is an interior designer, editor at The WON and avid junker. Watch for her design tips and occasional crafting ideas, bringing the outdoors indoors. View all posts by Jackie Richardson
