How to Dry Food in the Microwave

Herbs dry easily in the microwave.

Drying food is a method of food preservation that involves removing the moisture in the food item so it does not spoil. Some of the more common dried food items are meats, fruits and herbs. The microwave oven is not suitable for drying most foods. You can dry small quantities of herbs, mushrooms or grated citrus peel. Other foods simply become cooked in the microwave oven.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Paper towels
• Water
• Kitchen knife

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of cardboard so it fits over the turntable in your microwave. Remove any piece of tape, staples or other foreign bodies from the cardboard. Set the cardboard in the microwave.

2. Lay two layers of paper towels over the cardboard tray. Do not used recycled paper towels because they contain bits of metal that are a fire hazard when used in the microwave.

3. Wash the herbs, citrus or mushrooms in clean water and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Measure 1 cup of herbs, 3/4 cups of citrus peel, or 1 cup of sliced mushrooms without the stems. If your mushrooms are whole, remove the stems and slice them before measuring.

4. Spread your food item over the paper towels in the microwave in a circle, leaving a hole in the middle of the circle. Set the microwave to high heat for herbs or mushrooms, and medium-high heat for citrus peel.

5. Microwave the mushrooms or herbs for three to four minutes. Remove the herbs and place them in an airtight container. For mushrooms, rotate the paper towels 180 degrees and microwave them on low for another four to five minutes. Microwave citrus peel on medium-high for 12 to 13 minutes.

References

• University of Minnesota; Drying Foods; Lou Ann Jopp
• University of Missouri; Drying in Electric Dehydrator; March 2010
• Fort Valley State University: Microwave Oven, Drying Food