Drying Flowers and Leaves?

DaddyShell · Post by **DaddyShell** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:06 pm

Okay, my folks live in rural Massachusetts and have access to the following edible goodies from the Epicurean Hermit Crab list(s) and others...in their yard! These are all wild, free growing goodies that I can guarantee have not had pesticides or fertilizers placed on them or their ground in probably the last 50 years (how long my dad's lived in the same house).

acorns
clover blossoms and leaves
dandelion blossoms/flowers and leaves
lilac flowers
milk thistle flowers and leaves
oak leaves
red raspberry leaves
sunflowers
zucchini flowers

Problem is Emmyshell and I live in Florida. They make regular bi-yearly visits and send regular packages for Emmyshell. If I were to have them gather these goodies, what is the best way to dry them or prep them before they are sent to us in Florida and then fed to the babies?

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:15 am

I have dried dandelion blossoms/flowers and leaves ,lilac flowers,maple leaves. I preheat the oven to the lowest setting turn the oven off place the items on a clean glass sheet/pan check every 15 mins.
The lilics I left whole.

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:28 am

when drying flowers and leaves, I simply leave them out on a paper towell for a week or two.

Caroline

DragonTear · Post by **DragonTear** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:03 pm

I have found that if you tie the plants together by the stem and hang them upside down in a dark, dry place they dry the best. I do this with all my herbs I dry for herbal tea and it works well, and although it takes more time than the oven method I think heating them up like that may leech nutrients out of the plants.

Oh and also if your parents happen to have a dehydrator lying around from the early eighties (because I think everyone got one as a x-mas gift then haha) you can dry them quicker in the dehydrator without risk of leeching nutrients from the plants.

Hope this helps!!

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:14 pm

I use my dehydrator for them. But they could also cut them and set them in a sunny area too...just make sure if they set them outside the flowers dont blow away. Ive heard of people putting things like flowers and leaves on their car dashboard and letting the sun dry them there.

DaddyShell · Post by **DaddyShell** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:01 pm

OMG, my parents have one of those - they used to make me beef jerky! I wonder if they still have it...hmmmm!!! I wonder if they still have it. That would be PERFECT!

Thanks to Vckums. I got a whole bunch of stuff from her at crabby addiction (okay, via Ebay) and it was a GREAT deal. She even threw in samples (else I ordered stuff I don't remember). The crabs have loved it!