Low-temperature Baking Dried Osmanthus (still Golden After A Year)

Low-temperature Baking Dried Osmanthus (still Golden After A Year)

1. Fresh sweet-scented osmanthus must be picked during the full bloom period. Don't pinch it hard when picking it. If you knead the osmanthus too much, it will turn black after a while. Don't hold it in the palm of your hand for too long, it will turn black if it is overheated, and put it in the container when you pick it.

2. After picking the osmanthus, first remove the pedicels, impurities and blackened osmanthus.

Prepare an oil-free container. Put water in the container first, then pour the sweet-scented osmanthus and soak for ten minutes.

3. After ten minutes, take out the osmanthus, pour out the dirty water, pour clean water into the basin again, pour the osmanthus in, and wash it again with clean water, the process must be gentle.

4. Take out the sweet-scented osmanthus and drain it and spread it flat in a ventilated dustpan. Drain the water in a cool and ventilated place.

If you are in a hurry, you can turn on the fan to blow it away to speed up the draining. You can also use kitchen paper towels to gently absorb the surface moisture, but do not press.

This process must not be omitted, because there is water on the osmanthus, which will cause local overheating during the baking process, which will cause the osmanthus to turn black.

In addition, do not expose to the sun, only dry in the shade.

5. Spread a thin layer in the dustpan, which is more breathable and easier to dry in the shade.

6. Preheat the oven, add circulating hot air to the upper and lower fires, and bake at low temperature for 4 to 5 hours within 35°C of the middle layer until it feels dry and crisp to the touch.


Why can the temperature only be controlled within 35℃? In addition to preventing the color from turning black, there is another reason-because fresh osmanthus contains osmanthus scented volatile oil, it is easy to volatilize if high temperature. Only low-temperature drying can effectively preserve its fragrance.


During baking, only a thin layer of sweet-scented osmanthus can be used at a time. Do not pile the sweet-scented osmanthus too thickly, lest the lower layer of sweet-scented osmanthus cannot leak out in time, causing the local temperature to be too high and causing blackening.


Remember: Osmanthus fragrans can be spread in a thin layer, don't be greedy. Your sweet-scented osmanthus must be roasted several times. Haste is not enough!

In short, sweet-scented osmanthus is a very delicate thing (*>.<*)

7. A chopstick is clamped on the oven door to help dissipate heat and moisture.

During the baking process, turn the sweet-scented osmanthus every 1 hour, and then re-lay it, using gentle hands.

8. Because each oven has a different personality, it is best to measure the temperature with a thermometer to prevent the actual temperature from exceeding 35°C.

In addition, when the time is up, you can check the softness and hardness of the dried osmanthus to judge the evaporation of water. If it is still soft, you can continue to bake it for a while until it is completely dry.

The completely dried sweet-scented osmanthus has hard tentacles, grab a small handful and then sprinkle it in, you will hear a crisp touch sound. Judge this step by yourself based on experience! Everyone can feel the dry and wet touch.




If the finished product is still partially blackened, it may be caused by external force damage during the picking process of the osmanthus, or incomplete drying in the shade, too thick for one roast, too high temperature in the oven, or uneven temperature, etc.

9. Come to a detailed picture to see the color of the finished product. The roasted osmanthus is naturally cooled and put into an airtight jar, and kept in the refrigerator. After one year, it will still be golden as before, and the fragrance will not change for a long time.