Dried parsley: what properties has and how to dry the greens?
Cooking is unthinkable without spicy herbs. But the preservation of fresh herbs without special treatment for long months is impossible.Because you have to look for workarounds.
How to do everything right?
Drying parsley at home is quite possible, and even in a short time. But we must try to do everything carefully. If you take a careful approach, you can keep the green part and the roots for several months. Be sure to:
- prepare raw materials as thoroughly as possible;
- cook clean dishes;
- wash the greens under the faucet, but then there would be no water droplets on it;
- cut all hardened fragments.
Roots cleaned with a stiff brush. Wipe them by hand or dry them additionally - there is no fundamental difference. Dried raw materials often crushed. Then the subsequent processing will be much easier and better. Upon receipt of dried parsley after the preparation, you must carefully follow the basic requirements.
Cooking dried herbs and not only
Cutting is made in an arbitrary way. After laying on a baking sheet on top of parchment, the product is placed in a slightly open oven to the weakest heat.
Do not warm the parsley to more than 50 degrees. This will not speed up the process, but will reduce the benefit of the finished product.
Processing lasts several hours, the state of parsley all the time you need to carefully monitor and, if necessary, turn it over.
When selecting the initial raw materials, the damaged and yellowed parts should be ruthlessly rejected. Unnecessarily thickened branches are also removed. Drying involves the selection of mostly fresh young foliage. Preparing store parsley should include not just washing, but also aging in a weak salt solution. In the absence of the oven, you can use a microwave or a specialized electric dryer.
It is not necessary to dry parsley by itself. Its combination with other herbs can be an equally attractive solution. There is already required to be guided by its own taste and gastronomic compatibility.
But during subsequent storage of dissimilar separately dried herbs should be divided. The best way to do this is with glass jars with tight-fitting lids, always signed outside.
Basic properties
Properly dry the parsley will be able to anyone, but the question arises - whether to do it, what is the potential benefit of such a product. The answer will certainly be positive, even if it comes only from the culinary aspect. Dried parsley enters harmoniously in the stew, and in the first, and in meat dishes. As for the effect on the body, it is impossible to ignore:
- vision support;
- assistance in the gastrointestinal tract;
- increased skin tone;
- immunity enhancement;
- reducing the threat of inflammatory disorders.
Dried parsley for every 50 g contains a daily portion of ascorbic acid. At the same time, it contains a high concentration of vitamins A, B. Potassium, zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and copper are among the main mineral components. Importantly, the useful characteristics during drying are not lost at all. This also applies to the antibacterial capabilities of the plant.
Parsley is recommended to stabilize intestinal activity and stimulate appetite. It helps to restore strength and improves metabolism. The use of parsley is noted to overcome anorexia and depressive states, to combat gastritis and stomach ulcers. The plant copes well with cosmetological disorders and with inflammation of the gums; Adjusting the balance of glucose in the blood is provided by inulin, which is present in the root parsley, also improves the circulation of oxygen.
How to use dried parsley?
To get the maximum benefit, you need to approach the product correctly from a culinary point of view. European tradition implies the active use of parsley in dried form as a semi-finished product or part of other semi-finished products. Such use is due to the bright taste and aroma.But the situation is changing, and there are more and more people who use this preparation as a component of various dishes, with the exception of the sweet table.
Parsley effectively replaces fresh greens in the first courses, and secondly - from meat and vegetables. Cooks note that the dried mass can be the main component of the seasonings for fish. Also parsley is suitable for enhancing the flavor:
- soup dressings;
- gravy;
- sour cream and other sauces;
- cottage cheese, cheese and meatballs.
Experiments on adding herbs to pies and dumplings also gave a positive result. It is possible to make better not only the taste, but also the aroma, and even the external appearance of the dishes. The introduction of dried parsley in salads helps to make them spicier and increase the saturation of vitamins. The benefits are also noted when canning vegetables. We must not forget that after drying, the aroma increases dramatically, because we need to introduce grass in smaller quantities than in fresh form. But thanks to this property, the plant is able to reduce the bad breath.
To fight diseases, use a decoction of dried parsley. It should be noted that in addition to the above listed nutrients it contains vitamins P, PP, K, as well as choline and beta-carotene, pectins.
But it is worth remembering that under the action of parsley can increase kidney inflammation, cystitis, and the possible risk of miscarriage during pregnancy.
Its consumption is not recommended for anemia and insufficient blood pressure. A relative contraindication will also be hypertension. In all these cases, consultation with a doctor is obligatory.
At the beginning of the use of dried parsley, if it has never been used before, it is necessary to manage with the smallest dose and carefully monitor whether there are signs of intolerance or allergies. By controlling the contraindications and using moderate herbs, you can almost completely eliminate the negative manifestations.
How to dry parsley, you can see in the next video.
