Place the fresh sage bunches in the preheated air fryer basket, keeping as close to a single layer as possible
2-3 bunches Sage leaves
Cover the sage with your air fryer rack or trivet. If you don’t have one, bundle the bunches together by the stems with a heat-safe tie
Cook sage on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350°F
Sage is done when leaves have curled in, appear dry, and crackle when touched
If additional time is needed, add in increments of 1 minute and check frequently for doneness to prevent burning
To remove sage leaves from stems, hold the dehydrated sage over a plate by the stem with one hand, and squeeze from bottom to top with the other. This will cause the leaves to drop onto the plate. Rub your thumb and index finger together to loosen any stuck leaves
If desired, crush the leaves up finer using your fingers, or a mortar and pestle if you want a highly ground dust-like consistency
Store in an airtight container, spice jar, or similar
Notes
3 bunches of sage leaves should give you around 1 Tbsp ground, dried sage (depending on the specific size of your bunches and leaves)
It normally takes me between 3 and 3 ½ minutes in my Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer to completely dehydrate my sage. Times will vary slightly based on your specific air fryer
Make sure to keep in as close to a single layer as possible, or else you’ll get wet spots from the overlap
Leaves will curl as they cook
Some light brown or gray coloring is normal to see during the drying process. However, darker brown or blackening of the leaves indicates overcooking
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