This guide to making your own leek powder is easy to follow and will lead to many delicious meals. The many uses of leek powder means you’ll be grabbing your jar often!
In our tiny town in Zimbabwe, we can’t find good quality seasonings in our grocery stores. Sure, there are some options but when it comes to variety and pungent flavours, there aren’t many options. So I decided to make my own leek powder!
I always try to have leek powder, onion powder and garlic powder on my shelves so that I can make my own seasonings. The leek powder tends to run out a whole lot faster than the other two and that is because it is so versatile and packed with flavour. If you’d like to learn more about us and how we ended up living in Zimbabwe, you can find more information here.
Why I originally decided to make my own leek powder
For years, I had cut off leek greens and tossed them into our compost bucket. After some thought, it seemed strange that God had created this wonderfully green and tasty food without a use for its greens. If you think about it, there is a whole lot more leaf than ‘stem’ to a leek. The greens taste just like the stem, so I wondered what would happen if I dehydrated my leeks!
Another reason that I decided to make my own leek powder is that I was struggling to find ways to use my leeks. Here in Zimbabwe, we are forced to eat seasonally because we don’t get much imported fresh produce. I’m happy that we eat seasonally but it means that I end up receiving a glut of leeks from our local farmer.
How I make my own leek powder
Supplies Needed:
- Leeks – stems and green
- Dehydrator
Steps for making your own leek powder at home
Step 1 – Gather your leeks
Haul out your leeks from wherever you store them. With our hot climate, I must store them at the bottom of my refrigerator. Unfortunately, my leeks had arrived from our local farmer with the greens cut off! Don’t worry, I will be requesting that they don’t do this again. What this means, however, is that my powder will look a lot less green than yours will! Rinse your leeks under the tap to dislodge any residual dirt. Once you have separated the layers in Step 2, you may need to rinse off some hidden dirt.
Step 2 – Chop your leeks
Cut your leeks roughly into 1” pieces. There really is no ideal measurement here, just make sure that the pieces aren’t too small and fall through your dehydrator racks, or too big and take ages to dry! Separate the layers of leeks, you will end up with a lot of pieces!
Step 3 – Fill your dehydrator
Place the pieces on your dehydrator racks. Make sure that the pieces aren’t touching so there will be space for good airflow. Then stack your racks and place them in/on your dehydrator. I have a basic dehydrator with no settings. I just switch it on and check on it every few hours. If yours is fancier than mine, it should have a guide to tell you what temperature to set it at.
Step 4 – Grind your Dried Leek Pieces
I check on my dehydrator every few hours. If you see that some pieces are dry, while others are still wet, remove the dry pieces. Once everything is dry, place the pieces into your grinder of choice. I have a small one, so I have to add pieces as I grind. I don’t mind this because it only takes a few seconds! Grind the leek pieces into a fine powder.
Step 5 – Store and Use your Homemade Leek Powder
Store your powder in a dry and clean jar. It is now ready to use!
How to Use your Homemade Leek Powder
- Season everything with it – from meat to vegetables.
- When you make soup, plop a few spoons of leek powder in to give it a punchy flavour.
- Sprinkle over pasta dishes, eggs and rice
There is no limit to what you can use leek powder with. You can’t go wrong experimenting with what goes best with leek powder.
How to Make Your Own Leek Powder
Ingredients
- Leeks - stalk and greens
- Dehydrator
Instructions
- Haul out your leeks from wherever you store them. Rinse your leeks under the tap to dislodge any residual dirt. Once you have separated the layers in Step 2, you may need to rinse off some hidden dirt.
- Cut your leeks roughly into 1” pieces. There really is no ideal measurement here, just make sure that the pieces aren’t too small and fall through your dehydrator racks, or too big and take ages to dry! Separate the layers of leeks, you will end up with a lot of pieces!
- Place the pieces on your dehydrator racks. Make sure that the pieces aren’t touching so there will be space for good airflow. Then stack your racks and place them in/on your dehydrator. I have a basic dehydrator with no settings. I just switch it on and check on it every few hours. If yours is fancier than mine, it should have a guide to tell you what
temperature to set it at. - I check on my dehydrator every few hours. If you see that some pieces are dry, while others are still wet, remove the dry pieces. Once everything is dry, place the pieces into your grinder of choice. I have a small one, so I have to add pieces as I grind. I don’t mind this because it only takes a few seconds! Grind the leek pieces into a fine powder.
- Store your powder in a dry and clean jar. It is now ready to use!
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