How to Dry and Use Lambsquarter
Lambsquarter is a nutritional powerhouse – full of B Vitamins, as well as Vitamins A and C. It’s also a fantastic source of minerals, including calcium, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and iron.
Turns out, it’s extremely easy to dehydrate, and makes an absolutely wonderful dried herb. The smell is bright and fresh – almost like alfalfa, and it keeps its color beautifully. I find that it brings a wonderful depth of character to roast lamb or chicken and it makes a pleasant addition to beef stew. I ended up dehydrating several pints, and it has become one of my go-to spices this winter.
Drying lambsquarter to stock your spice cabinet is so easy. Pick it in the morning when the nutrient levels are highest. Rinse it free of any dirt, but don’t intentionally wash off the white “dusty” outer part of the top leaves. Those are especially mineral-dense, so you want that part.
Press gently between towels to dry off the bulk of any water remaining on the leaves. Then, spread out on your dehydrator trays. I dehydrate mine right on the stems, and you can see from the picture that I really put quite a lot on the trays. These dehydrate WAY down.
Dehydrate at 125 for about 5-6 hours, until leaves and small stems are brittle, and crumble easily when crushed between your fingers. It’s ok for the thicker, main stems to still be a little flexible.
Remove from the dehydrator trays. Over your food processor, slide your fingers down the stems, stripping the brittle leaves and small stems into bowl. Discard any larger, still-flexible stems.
A few quick pulses, and it will look like a dried herb that you’d buy – something between basil and oregano in appearance. Store it in an airtight container, out of the light – just as you would any spice.
