Here are three super easy methods for drying lemongrass at home.
Lemongrass is a wonderful herb to add to Asian dishes, marinades, salads, and more. It has a lemon flavor and smells delicious when you cook with it. After you harvest it, you can look at methods for drying lemongrass so that you can use it whenever you want to throughout the year.
Take a look at some of the ways that you can dry lemongrass.
How to Dry Lemongrass
1. Air drying lemongrass
The most affordable way to dry your lemongrass is to air dry it. This is easy and it is a method that is as old as mankind.
You can follow these steps:
- Find a well ventilated, warm, dry spot
- Gather five or six stalks of lemongrass together in bunches and tie them
- Place them on a herb-drying rack or hang them to dry
- Cover them with a brown paper bag with air holes in it
- Let them hang for one to two weeks
You can hang your lemongrass stalks in the attic, on a hook in the pantry, or in any warm, dry place that is well ventilated. You don’t want to hang them in direct sunlight or they will lose their flavor. Leave them hanging for one to two weeks until they feel crunchy. The advantages to this method are that it is easy and costs virtually nothing. The disadvantage is that it takes longer than other methods.
2. Drying lemongrass in the oven
Another method that you can use to dry your lemongrass is the oven-drying method. You need to make sure that you can keep your oven on low heat so that it doesn’t bake your lemongrass, and you want it to maintain an even temperature. You need parchment paper, a baking sheet, and an oven for this method.
Follow these steps:
- Preheat your oven on the lowest temperature setting
- Place parchment paper on top of a baking sheet
- Lay your lemongrass out on the parchment paper
- Put the baking sheet in the oven for about an hour
- Let the lemongrass cool when it finishes drying
Check on your lemongrass while it is drying. As soon as it becomes dry and crisp, it is ready. This method works well but it can take some of the flavors out of the lemongrass, especially if the temperature gets too hot. You can consider cracking the oven open to make it a little cooler if your oven temperature is too high. The advantage to this method is that it is faster than air drying and it is easy, but the disadvantage is that ovens can get too hot and remove the flavor from the lemongrass.
3. Drying lemongrass in the dehydrator
You can also dry your lemongrass in a dehydrator. This is the easiest option and it works well because a dehydrator is designed specifically to dry out herbs and other foods. Once you place the lemongrass in the dehydrator, you won’t have to worry about it until it’s ready.
Follow these steps:
- Cut the lemongrass to 1.5-inch pieces and lay it on the dehydrator rack that comes with the dehydrator
- Turn the dehydrator on and set it to medium
- Leave it until it is dry
- It takes two to four hours
You can leave the lemongrass in the dehydrator overnight and it is the best way to dry it. It is difficult to get an even temperature that is low enough from your oven but the dehydrator will use the temperature you need. The advantages are that it is easy to use, it requires no effort, and it works in one to four hours. It also requires less space. The main disadvantage is that you have to buy a dehydrator, so it is a more expensive method. You also need to store it when it’s not in use.
How to Store Dried Lemongrass
Once you dry your lemongrass, you need to prepare it and store it. Lemongrass doesn’t have leaves, so you can bundle the stems together and store them in a glass jar or another airtight container. You will want to make sure that you keep the container in a cool, dark, dry place so that the flavor is preserved. This way, it will be ready when you want to use it to prepare a meal.
LEARN ALSO: A Complete Guide on How to Store Dried Herbs
Lemongrass has a zesty lemon flavor, and it is delicious in salads, Asian dishes, marinades, and more. It is a handy herb to have around if you want to use it for cooking. When you harvest your lemongrass, you can dry it so that you have it stored for use throughout the year. It is easy to dry and you can choose from different methods.
If you have a dehydrator, this is the easiest way to dry it. It also does a good job of preserving the natural flavor. However, you can air dry it if you have the time or you can dry it in the oven.
