Parsley is a favorite around the Allen/Bulfa/Turner compound. When Next Door Grandson was little, he would make “parsley runs” out onto his front porch to pick some parsley and eat it. His mother never had any to cook with because of his ruthless depredations. 😀

So I always grow plenty of parsley. I also dry plenty of parsley, so I have it all year ’round. Here’s how:

How To Dry Parsley In The Microwave

“They” say to cut your herbs in the morning when the dew (if any) has dried. Just cut it. Don’t cut ALL of it: cut the bigger stems out the outside and leave the little stems that are growing out from the middle of the plant. Those little ones will get to be big ones, and you can harvest parsley all season. Cool!

Bring it in. Wash it and pat it dry between paper towels. You want to wash it, because you never know what’s been walking on it or whizzing on it or whatever. Insects have lives, too, you know.

Pull the leaves off the stems. Put a paper towel onto a microwaveable plate. Spread leaves in a single layer on the paper towel. Don’t crowd them or overlap them or fold them over on themselves.

Microwave for one minute. Make sure the plate is revolving. If it isn’t, after the minute, turn the plate or the paper towel so the leaves are in a different position inside the microwave. They probably won’t be dry. Let them cool for a few (15?) seconds and microwave for another minute. Check for crispiness. You can feel by gently touching them if they’re dry or not. Put that batch aside to cool and do another batch.

In just a few minutes, you’ll have a couple of cups of perfectly dried parsley leaves, ready to crumble to powder or (my preference) store as whole leaves to crumble as needed.

As Charlie’s Aunt Ora Maye used to say, “Now ain’t that purty?”

TIP: Make sure the leaves don’t have any water standing on them when you put them in, or they’ll cook. Keep an eye on them and don’t over-dry them, or they’ll scorch or — very exciting — burst into flame and catch the paper towel on fire.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character accidentally sets something on fire.

MA