Want to preserve your flowers? Try this Xiaohongshu air fryer hack

Love getting flowers but hate seeing them wither away?

If you've ever tried to preserve flowers, whether by pressing them in a book or hanging them upside down, you'll probably know that patience is key as they can take weeks to fully dry out.

But it seems that some Chinese netizens might have stumbled upon a quick and easy way to get the same effect — sticking the blooms in an air fryer.

The hack has been floating around on social media platform Xiaohongshu for a while, but recently popped up on TikTok after a user who goes by Seepopstar made a video on the trend.

@seepopstar

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♬ Omae Wa Mou - deadman 死人

Here's how to preserve your flowers in 30 minutes or less:

1. Snip the flower stems so they'll fit in your air fryer.
2. Place the flowers in the cooking basket. Space them out evenly.
3. Air fry at 80 deg Celsius for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the basket and arrange as you wish.

The method should give you dried flowers that will last, but it appears that it isn't foolproof. According to Seepopstar, the hack works well on roses but can be hit or miss with other types of flowers — so proceed with caution before you throw your wedding bouquet into the air fryer. 

After scrolling through the posts on Xiaohongshu, we've compiled some tips to ensure your flowers don't burn to a crisp:

• Don't go above the prescribed temperature.
• If you're trying this out for the first time, it might be wise to fry the flowers in 10-minute intervals, as some flowers might not be able to handle the entire 30 minutes in the air fryer.
• If you have flowers of different sizes, don't fry them all in one go. Separate the smaller flowers as they may burn more easily.

It also goes without saying that not all flowers are safe to eat. Some may even contain pesticides and chemicals, so do give the flowers — and your air fryer — a thorough cleaning if you're planning on attempting this. 

ALSO READ: I try making soft-boiled eggs using an air fryer, and it's impossible to fail

kimberlylim@asiaone.com