Microwaving Flowers to Dry Them

It is possible to dry flowers using a microwave oven, and this is incredibly quick, taking minutes rather than days or weeks. As there are so many variations in ovens, there is no one recipe for using them for drying flowers. Experimentation is the name of the game!

Obviously, you should start with a low setting, and only set your oven for a few seconds at a time. Different settings will produce different colour variations. For best results, use silica gel or silver sand, using the method described above, to support the flowers whilst drying, to retain their shape.

ALWAYS use a non-metallic container, and NEVER use wired flowers in a microwave oven. There are various books on microwave drying which offer guidelines, and these should be available in your local library.

There’s no list of plants suitable for microwaving, as most flowers and foliages can be microwaved, with the exception of very thick, fleshy leaves, which contain too much water to dry successfully.