How to Dry Celery Leaves

The leafy tops of celery provide a flavor-packed herb.

Celery leaves provide soups, sauces and stocks with a mild, peppery flavor. You can use the fresh leaves from the celery stalks in your refrigerator, but drying ensures you have celery leaves available even when your vegetable crisper is empty. Dried leaves lose their flavor intensity during drying or storage if they are not preserved properly, but they may develop a stronger flavor than fresh with proper preservation. Drying the leaves properly helps them retain more flavor during storage.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towel
• Kitchen shears
• Drying screen
• Storage container

Instructions

1. Rinse the celery top under cold water. Shake the excess moisture off the leaves, then pat them dry with a paper towel.

2. Cut the leaves off the stalk with a pair of kitchen shears. Dispose of any bruised, discolored or wilted leaves.

3. Spread the leaves out in a single layer on a fine mesh screen. Set the screen in a dark, dry and well-ventilated area.

4. Turn the leaves once a day so both sides dry evenly. Dry the leaves for two to five days or until they are brittle.

5. Place the dried leaves in an airtight container. Store in a dark, cool place until you are ready to use them.

Tips & Warnings

• Store the dried celery leaves whole. Crumble them when you add them to a recipe. Whole leaves retain their quality better than crumbled leaves.

References

• University of Illinois Extension; Harvesting and Drying Herbs; James Schmidt, et al.
• National Center for Home Food Preservation; Drying Herbs; Elizabeth Andress; 2006