Drying imifino is a traditional African method of preservation using the sun, wind or warm air, inside or out. Collect a lot of imifino when they grow after rains in summer. Dry them and you will have nutritious food for the winter. Dried imifino can be stored whole or powdered in airtight containers. You don’t need a refrigerator.
First pick and wash, then pat dry with a clean tea towel to remove water droplets.
Dry in the Sun
Without a drying rack to stop leaves blowing away or being contaminated by dust and dirt this is difficult for loose leaves. Some colour and flavour is lost if dried in the sun.
“My favourite species for drying are umsobo and imitwane. They even taste better dried than fresh! I place the leaves on a piece of clean corrugated iron, or on the roof of my house, for about 10 days. But I take the leaves inside every night, so that the dew does not make it wet again. When the leaves are completely dry I store them in a closely tightened grain sack, in a cool, dry place. You can keep this dried imifino for several months.”
Mamma Saina, Woodlands
Dry in the house
“You can also dry the imifino inside the house, for a different flavour. Chop the leaves. Spread them on a sack or in a shallow tray, turning regularly to dry the leaves till they have changed colour and feel crispy.
My favourite species are umsobo, ihlaba and utyuthu. To cook imifino dried and it is called gwadugwadu. I like to use freshly ground mealies, because this makes the most delicious imifino. Sometimes I will add fresh imifino as well. First I chop and cook the leaves in a little water. When it is half cooked I add a little bit of the mealie meal and stir well. Cook for a few minutes before mixing in the rest of the mealie meal. When it is ready I like to add a handful of chopped green onions for extra flavour”.
Mamma Thathiwe’s Crossroads
Or you can cut the leaves on their stalks and hang in bunches upside down.
Dehydration means the process of removal of moisture by the application of artificial heat under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity and air flow. Imifino can be dehydrated using a conventional oven, airfryer, microwave or kitchen top dehydrator but of course these are more expensive than drying.