Drying Burdock Root

[Singingcrowsings]

Hello,

I had about 5 or so burdock roots and have thinly shredded them using a peeler. They are currently laying out on a plate, drying, and I shake them up and try to expose them evenly to the air every once in a while throughout the day, and will do so until they are completely dry.

I have read about people preparing burdock for gobo tea, and they dry then sautée it in oil or roast it. Is this necessary, or is drying it sufficient? I'll be using it for infusions and maybe throwing into soups here and there. Do you have any other suggestions in regards to this process?

[ItalianBee]

I have never done anything to burdock roots before using them - I just hang them up to dry. But I'm fairly new to their use, so maybe somebody else knows more.

[NateFlory]

Same here, I just usually cut it into slices (like you see Carrots in stew) and dry them this way, to plop into soups and stews. I imagine shredding/peeling them into "flakes" or strips would be REALLY fast to dry and just as convenient. Not sure about roasting or such myself. Good luck and let us know what you discover!

[Singingcrowsings]

The stripping seems to be the traditional Japanese way to dry it. Then it's either bake it at a low heat (dehydrating heat i.e. 140˚F) or pan fry it dry for 10 minutes. This process seems to get that last bit of moisture out, as a preventative from mould, and also kills any bugs that might still be living on the root.

I've read that burdock dehydrates to 1/3rd of it's size, and it's amazing watching this plate full, as high as the pile of spaghetti in Lady and the Tramp, shrink down to the equivalent of a thin crust bambino pizza!

I used a small bit with a dried shitake mushroom as a soup base for miso soup, ad it was very good. I'm looking forward to using it for infusions or in stir fries too. I'm also discovering the use or raw burdock as I learn about it.

Burdock root is new to me too, so I feel I've got a whole new adventure ahead of me!

[ItalianBee]

I'm actually feeling really sad that my landlord and the next-door one got rid of all the burdock in my vicinity, so I have no source this year - and where I live I can't find "gobo" in the grocery store either. I miss my burdock!

[Singingcrowsings]

Maybe you need to venture out a little further into the bush there, ItalianBee. Or you can try growing your own!

I am currently discussing the easiest way to grow burdock on a balcony with a friend. She had mentioned people putting plates around the roots to make them easier to harvest, and that made me think of those potato bags you can buy that, once the roots are ready to harvest, you can just pull away.

I also live in a province where pesticides are not legal, so if need be, I can go harvest some not too far from my home. Since I'm new to harvesting edible wild plants, as of last year, I am planning a few full days of harvesting in spring, summer and fall. I'm very excited about it!

[ItalianBee]

[Singingcrowsings]