Fennel herb is a welcome guest in the kitchen. It upgrades teas in particular, but also salads. Hobby cooks and connoisseurs appreciate the herb in particular because of its antispasmodic effect. But what to do with larger amounts of fennel herb? Can it be dried? And if so, how exactly does it work? We have the answers!

Fennel herb should always be dried in the oven

Air dry fennel? No!

Unlike most other herbs, fennel herb does not tolerate air-drying very well. Practical tests show that fennel green only turns brown and unsightly. We therefore advise against tying fennel into small bouquets and hanging them upside down in a dry, airy place, as you can do with most other herbs with a clear conscience.

Dry fennel in the oven? Yes!

Luckily, you don't have to rely on air drying. For example, you can use the oven. That's how it's done:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Spread the fennel leaves evenly on the tray.
  3. Then place the tray in the preheated oven.
  4. Leave the herb to dry at around 40 degrees Celsius with the oven door slightly open.

Tips:

  • To keep the oven door slightly open, clamp a cooking spoon between them.
  • The oven door should remain open so that the moisture can escape easily.
  • Make sure that the fennel is rustle-dry (without residual moisture).
  • The temperature should not exceed 40 degrees - gently dry the herb.

Dry fennel in the dehydrator? Yes!

An automatic dehydrator is even better than the oven for drying fennel herb. If you own such a device, you should prefer it to the oven. The same applies here: do not use temperatures higher than 40 degrees Celsius!

Due to the fast but gentle drying in the dehydrator, the fennel stays juicy green and therefore tasty and attractive.

tips

The specific procedure can be found in the manufacturer's instructions in the instructions for your dehydrator.

Alternative preservation option: freezing

If you don't want to dry your fennel, you have another option: you can freeze it.

  1. Wash the fennel leaves thoroughly.
  2. Dry it carefully.
  3. Chop the cabbage.
  4. Portion the chopped herb into ice cube trays.
  5. Fill the ice cube trays with water.
  6. Put the whole thing in the freezer.
  7. Divide the fennel herb cubes into freezer bags.
  8. Seal these bags airtight.
  9. Store the freezer bags in the freezer.

tips

So you can always get the fennel herb out in portions when you need some.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden