Herbs
Dried Red ShisoDrying Time, Storage, and Using Leaves Left from Shiso Juice
Red shiso is a Japanese herb in the mint family, used to color umeboshi (pickled plums) and to make a ruby-red shiso juice. Its reddish-purple color comes from anthocyanins.
In Japan, red shiso is only in season for a short time in June and July, when people pickle plums. Dried, it can be enjoyed after the season, simmered for tea or crumbled into rice. Outside Japan, look for it at Japanese grocery stores in summer, or grow it from seed.
| Drying time | Storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | 2–4 days | 6 months at room temperature |
Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.
If you make red shiso juice and have leaves left over, drying them is a good way to use them up.
How to dry red shiso
- Pick the leaves: Pick the leaves off the stems.
- Wash and pat dry: Wash gently in a bowl of water, then dry thoroughly between paper towels.
- Lay out and dry: Lay the whole leaves on a basket without overlapping. To keep the color and aroma, avoid strong direct sun and dry them in a breezy spot in shade or part shade. Bring them in by evening.
Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.
When it’s done
Dry (2–4 days)
It’s done when the leaves have curled, turned a deep reddish purple, and crumble when rubbed between your fingers.
Day by day
Before drying
Day 1
Storage
- Room temperature: Put completely crisp leaves in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 6 months. Light fades the color, so a container that blocks light is best.
The aroma fades over time, so for the best flavor, use it within 2–3 months. Moisture can lead to mold. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.
How to use it
- Shiso tea: Put a pinch in a teapot, pour boiling water over, and steep for 3–5 minutes. A few drops of lemon juice turn it a vivid red.
- Mixed rice: Crumble and mix into rice with a pinch of salt.
- Not the same as yukari: Red shiso that has been pickled with umeboshi, then dried and ground, becomes a salty rice seasoning called yukari. The dried red shiso on this page isn’t salted, so add salt if you want to use it that way.
