I have fresh basil and i dont use it often enough. how can i dry it out so i can use it later?
Question:my basil is going to seed and its getting overgrown because i dont use it as fast as it grows. i was thinking that i could pick off the leaves and dry them out like you see in the store in the spices isle. how can this be done?
Answers:
You can dry basil several ways
1) in a dehydrator
2) in a paper grocery bag in a dry dark room. Every other day check the basil to make sure it is not moldy and toss around
3) hang in a cool dry room until dry. I use rubber bands to secure the stems and hang upside down.
Store the dried basil in plastic bags in the freezer. Dried basil is not suitable for pesto (it will not rehydrate) but great in sauces and homemade salad dressings.
You can also freeze it. If you do freeze it do no use boiling water as that will ruin the basil. What I have done for the past 15 years is put fresh basil leaves in a food processor with a bit of olive oil (say 1/4 cup OO to 2 cups leaves) and make into a paste. Put the paste into ice cube trays (which can't be used for ice after doing this unless you enjoy basil flavored ice) and put in your freezer. When frozen put the cubes into a marked/dated plastic bag and store. Now you have serving sized cubes.
You can also make pesto and freeze that the same way
dehydrator
Try freezing the leaves; they have so much more flavor when frozen. Pour boiling water over leaves in strainer. Lay leaves on cookie sheet and freeze, then transfer to plastic bag(s).
When frozen, you can crumble and put into bags also.
Air dry is good if you have a place to hang them, out of sun, with good air flow, no rain and warmth.
I found that the purchase of a dehydrator was a good purchase. Your herbs have better color, better taste/flavor and worth the effort.
Another use for fresh herbs (basil and etc) is to cut and enjoy in your house as a bunch of flowers. I use to use herbs as natural room deodorizers., Small bunches in the bathroom is light and refreshing. By the bed will freshen bedroom smells. Inexpensive and with a ribbon, very attractive. Put a big bunch of herbs near an open door or window so that each breeze that come in the room will send a light clean scent through your home. I had a lot of flowers and even my roses looked good with the greens from my herb garden to accent them.
The best method is to hang them to dry. Gather several plants of the same species together and bind their roots with string. Tie a longer string to the bound roots and fasten the other end of the long string to the ceiling or any other overhead structure that allows them to hang without being obstructed.
The reason why it is best to hang herbs of the same species is because of the drying times. Some herbs take longer to dry than others. If you have the entire bundle the same type of herb, you won’t have to break it apart each time one herb dries, because they will all dry more or less at the same time.
Another way how to dry herbs is on a rack or a screen. If you are handy, you can build a rack with screens yourself. Use a non-metallic window screen and fasten it to a frame made of four thin strips of wood. You can make several screens and put them into a rack that you can build that holds several screens on top of each other, with enough space in between to allow for good air circulation. If building this is too much for you, drying racks and screens can be purchased.
A third method how to dry herbs is in the microwave with a desiccant, or drying agent, such as silica gel to absorb the excess moisture. While this method dries herbs quickly, it is not recommended for medicinal herbs for two reasons. First, the excess heat from the microwave may destroy much of the medicinal properties of the herb. Second, any artificial desiccant such as silica gel should never be used because it may be absorbed into the herb. You do not want to ingest any foreign chemicals along with your herbs.
Basil is one of the most productive and useful culinary herbs. First, help you plants produce more leaves rather than flowers by clipping the stems below the flower clusters as they form. This will cause the energy of the plant to form new branches and new leaves before flowering again. This should be done every day or two. Pick the fresh leaves from the cut stems and use one of several methods to save and store.
My favorite preservation method is freezing. I make a basil paste in the blender using the fresh leaves and just enough vegetable oil (I use olive oil) to make it spin well. Place in freezer jars when done and freeze. This paste can then be used throughput the year by the tablespoon or as a base for pesto.
If you choose to dry, drying should be done in a well ventilated area on screens. Avoid adding heat as this will evaporate the essential oils the give basil its' flavor. When the leaves are dry enough when crisp. Store in an air tight container out of the light in a coll location (not above the stove). Do not crumble the leaves before storing this, too will cause lose of flavor. Crumble leaves between the fingers, as needed.
I cut a few branches, tie them and hang them in my kitchen to dry. After they dry I put them in a clean canning jar for future use.
hi...you might want to consider freezing them in small bags, this works well. I have also been known to hang them up to dry naturally, or you could also microwave them on paper towels (this is trial and error to determine the amount of time you need to dry them out) but it works great and is a lot quicker than a dehydrator which can take hours.
I agree with Wordsmith's answer. Pesto!
I have grown & dried herbs on screens for years.
Basil is a prolific grower and the pesto is terrific. I put mine in ice cube trays. When the cubes freeze you can pop them out and transfer them into a large freezer storage bag. They are easy to use this way. Soups, sauces, garlic bread, pasta Yummy!
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