Here’s a happy coincidence: you can use an air fryer to quickly dry out herbs!
When we lived in Durango I had a food dehydrator with a half dozen racks that everything stuck to and they were too big to fit in my sink to soak. I’d leave the dehydrator on for hours—days!—and still have to slave over the cleaning of the racks. This is because normal food dehydrators rely on a single fan that blows air at a very low temperature. The more racks stacked on top slow down the process.
I had made some sweet potato fries the other night so the fryer was still on my counter. An air fryer is just a baby convection oven (one that blows heat through a fan). Right now all the basil I planted around my tomato plants is going wild, so I wondered if I could dehydrate some of it in the air fryer, kind of like how you make kale chips. Good news, it works!
Air Fryer Dehydrated Herbs
- Basil or other herbs: parsley, dill, oregano, mint. (Rosemary and thyme might take a little longer because they are woody and not so leafy)
Rinse and dry off herbs and separate leaves. Place in single layer in air fryer basket. Dehydrate at 250 degrees for 5-7 minutes, checking the basket often.
That’s it! Crumble herbs and save in airtight container.
I like adding lots of basil to pizza and spaghetti sauce, but I find we tend to use more when it’s dried because it blends into the sauce better. Win-win!
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