How to dry celery at home

The fragrant vegetable, which so pleasantly enriches the taste of many first, second courses and snacks, can be prepared in advance to use spice all year round. There are interesting recipes for marinating and pickling celery, but the easiest way to preserve the flavor properties and beneficial substances of the product is drying. At home, without unnecessary trouble, you can quickly dry both the leaves and the roots with celery stalks. Here are some guidelines on how to do this.

How to dry celery leaves

Fragrant green celery can be dried as sprigs or leaves, and in chopped form. To do this, the grass must be sorted out, eliminating sluggish and yellowed leaves. After that, the celery is washed in cool water. It is better to pour the liquid into the bowl than to use running water, so the entire surface of the curled branches will be washed.Next bundle spread on paper towels and allowed to absorb excess moisture. If it is decided to chop celery greens for harvesting, chop the leaves with a knife in rather large pieces.

For drying, you can use the oven. To do this, it is heated to 40 degrees, spread greens on a baking sheet lined with cooking paper, the door is left ajar so that the grass does not caked and dried. Every hour the leaves need to be checked for readiness.

You can dry the leaves in the air. Greens are hung in bunches crown down or distributed on a bed of clean cloth or paper in a thin layer. Have a litter in a ventilated place, it is possible in a draft. Streams of air will help to quickly erode moisture from the leaves. Ideally, you should use gauze stretched to a height. Wearing water on both sides, the spice dries faster. Greens need to be stirred periodically to dry out evenly.This method will take about 2 weeks.

It is important not to keep the grass in the dust or close to sources of strong odors, so that it does not affect the quality of the spice. Also do not use newspaper as bedding. Printing ink is very harmful to health and should not come into contact with food.

For quick processing of greens can be placed in the microwave. You need to keep the leaves in the chamber for about 2 minutes and check for readiness. You may have to repeat the procedure.

How dried celery root at home

Celery roots are dried into strips or slices. Wash and clean the fruit, scrape all the bumps. After that, the root must be chopped:

• grate on a large grater;
• cut into strips;
• clean the plates with a vegetable cutter;
• cut into thin rings.

The prepared root is dried in the usual ways:

• on air;
• in the spirit of the closet;
• in an electric dryer.

In order for the spice to dry properly and retain its vitamins, you need to choose a temperature regime of up to 60 degrees, distribute the product on the sheets evenly and periodically stir or turn.The oven door is left open for air circulation, otherwise the vegetable will be baked in its own juice.

During drying, the root is not salted and does not use other seasonings. The drying time may take about 10-12 hours, it will depend on the size of the slices. Thinly chopped celery dries quickly and will be stored for a long time. Thick slices may not dry out from the inside. Such a product may rot and will have to be thrown away, so be careful.

How to dry celery stalks at home

Celery stalks are dried by the same technology. Cuttings need to be thoroughly washed, cleaned of hard films and streaks, cut into thin slices and put on a sheet. The temperature in the oven or electric dryer should not exceed 60 degrees. It takes a process of 10 hours. Pick and stir the raw materials during drying and monitor readiness.

Store dried grass or celery slices in a tightly closed container. A bank made of dark glass or plastic with a tight-fitting lid is good for this.It is necessary to avoid the ingress of moist air into a dry product, so as not to provoke mold and mildew growth. The value of its product saves 1-2 years, after which the seasoning will need to be refreshed.

Video: drying celery and parsley roots