LĒVO 101: Why Dry?

LĒVO II comes with three settings: Activate, Dry and Infuse. Let’s dive in and understand a bit more about the Dry cycle, and where & when to use it.

Most of us have a pantry lined with store-bought herbs & spices. They are an important addition to many recipes and are much more shelf stable than fresh herbs, able to be used and stored over the span of months or years.

You can use your LĒVO II Dry cycle to prepare fresh herbs for infusing, or for storing your harvest. Dried herbs contain less moisture, extending the shelf life of your infusion and making it a complimentary addition to your infusion process.

Let’s get started with a simple vinaigrette to get familiar with drying fresh herbs.

LĒVO-Infused Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 clove of garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 5-6 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon LĒVO-dried thyme
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Fill LEVO pod loosely with fresh thyme to dry (remember, it will shrink once dried)
2. Press CYCLE and select “Dry” and to begin default cycle at  115F / 93C for 3 hours
3. Once your Dry cycle is complete, carefully add 1-2 smashed cloves of fresh garlic to Herb Pod
4. Add 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or enough to submerge the Herb Pod completely
5. Press CYCLE and select INFUSE to, setting time & temperature at 185F / 85C for 1 hour
6. Dispense your finished infusion
7. In a clean jar or small bowl, add the vinegar, mustard and mix well.
8. Slowly add the infused olive oil while either whisking or stirring rapidly with your fork
9. Add salt and pepper taste and enjoy!

As with the Activate setting, take care to Dry only with herbs added, and never with oil or butter in your reservoir.

Happy Drying!

Please Note: The time it takes LĒVO to Warm Up to your set temperature can vary significantly, depending on factors like altitude, your cycle settings, and the type of ingredients you are using. Unlike a kitchen oven’s larger exposed heating coils, the LĒVO uses an insulated laboratory heat-plate that heats from beneath the reservoir, so please allow a range of approximately 15-30 minutes to reach your set cycle temperature.