How to Dry Basil – Oven or Dehydrator
Ever wished you could enjoy your homegrown basil all year round? Now you can with these easy-to-follow steps on how to dry basil, either with your oven or a dehydrator, that’s way more flavorful than store bought! Use this guide, along with the tips and ideas for using dried basil, to keep this Italian herb fresh and flavorful all year long.
I love to use dried basil in preserving recipes like Canned Pizza Sauce or Water-Bath Safe Roasted Tomato Sauce, or recipes like The Best Homemade Tomato Soup or Quick Healthy Turkey Sausage Patties for a flavor boost.
I have grown basil in my home garden for more years than I can count because we love this amazing pesto and I want to make sure I can make enough to freeze and use all year long.
But dried basil? Why would I take the time to do that when it’s so easy to find and buy in stores inexpensively?
Then one year I had more basil than we could use and in order for it not to go to waste, I stuck a bunch of leaves in my dehydrator to dry.
And I found out right away why you’ll want to dry your own: the smell is so strong and pure and then the flavor follows!! No wimpy, almost brown dried basil here like store bought that only faintly smells like basil.
Now I dry basil every year to have on hand for soups, stews, and sauces all winter long.
How to Dry Basil: Prep
- Gather Basil. You can dry any basil, but the most common is sweet basil. (TIP: If using a larger leaf variety like ‘lettuce leaf’ plan on the leaves taking a bit longer to dry.) Start with a bunch or whatever you’ve harvested from your garden.
- Wash and trim the cuttings. Remove the leaves from the stems, wash if needed (see tip below) and use a salad spinner to dry completely (or wrap in a towel and place in the fridge overnight).
TIP: I rarely wash herbs when harvesting from my organic garden, only if the leaves were on the ground and are dirty, so it’s up to you if you know where the basil came from.
3. Use the oven or dehydrator to dry the leaves. Choose either of the following drying methods that works for you (or both!):
Dry Basil In An Oven
1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees (use convection bake if you have it to increase airflow). Lay basil leaves on a baking tray in a single layer. Some will say to line with parchment, it’s up to you – I never bother and don’t seem to need it.
2. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour until dry and crispy, depending on the size of your leaves (really large leaves may take longer). As you can see, the color changes and they shrink a lot. TIP: I’ve found there’s no need to crack oven door open, even without a convection oven.
TIP: The key with oven drying is to check regularly, as the tender herbs may burn quickly.
PROS: Fairly quick, uses an appliance most everyone has.
CONS: Heats up the house, potential to burn so needs watching.
Dry Basil With Dehydrator
1. Lay out basil leaves in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Dry at 95-120 degrees (higher heat if your kitchen is more humid) for 6-10 hours, checking often, until the leaves crumble when rubbed.
2. The basil is dry when the leaves are totally crispy and crumble easily. They shouldn’t bend or have any soft areas, but sound crunchy and fall apart in your fingers.
TIP: I’ve found the lowest setting for ‘herbs’ is too low for my machine and it would take almost 24 hours to dry most basil leaves at that setting. That’s more electricity I want to spend for perceived “better quality” – 105-120 degrees is still low and it will still take hours which will preserve the basil oils and vitamins AND not take too much electricity. Make your own decision on how “low and slow” you want to go.
PROS: Depending on the size of your dryer you can do a lot at one time, dryers tend to use less electricity than ovens, and you can place the dryer outside or in an unused room when it’s hot.
CONS: Takes longer than oven drying, the machine can be loud if kept inside (especially to my family!), dries a little less evenly than the oven.
Storing
Crumble (or not). For both methods when the leaves are dry, pour them from the trays into a small bowl and use your fingers to crumble the leaves evenly. OR you can store the leaves whole and crumble when using them (I prefer to have them pre-crumbled).
Storage. Place basil crumbles or whole leaves into small glass jars with airtight lids. Label and date: this is IMPORTANT because once it’s in your spice shelf, it will look similar to a lot of other greenish herbs!
TIP: You can also use a spice grinder (or coffee grinder dedicated to herbs) or food processor to get smaller, more even pieces.
How long does dried basil last?
Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place dried basil will last 1-2 years, or when you notice the smell not as strong, which may be more than 2 years!
Can I air dry basil?
Technically, yes, but I don’t really recommend it because basil leaves are larger, containing more water than other herbs which means they are more susceptible to mold when grouped to hang dry. If you need to air dry, tie the basil in very small bundles and place in a well ventilated area that you can check often. The basil should dry completely in 2 to 3 weeks. (Note: this is definitely not for humid environments, though.)
How much dried basil do I use in place of fresh?
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley leaves = 1 teaspoon of dried basil.
What other ways can I preserve basil?
- My favorite is to make multiple batches of this quick and easy pesto that uses sunflower seeds (cheaper AND better than pine nuts!) and freeze it in small containers to use all winter.
- You can also check out this article on the best ways to freeze basil (after testing 6 methods).
- Need even more ideas? Here are 22+ ways to preserve basil that’s not pesto (yep, 22!).
How can I use dried basil in cooking?
So many ways! Add it to dinners like Slow Cooker Italian Vegetable Beef Soup and One Pot Italian Pasta with Sausage & Spinach, or bread doughs like Easy No Knead Sourdough Focaccia and Make Quick Homemade Pizza Dough. It’s also perfect in homemade vinaigrettes like Simple Lemon Vinaigrette.
Want to preserve more food by drying?
- How to Dry Parsley – Oven, Dehydrator or Air
- How to Dry Tomatoes And Store In Olive Oil
- How To Dry Plums (Not Your Mother’s Prunes!)
I hope you found this tutorial for how to dry basil helpful – if you try this, be sure to leave a 5 star rating and review so I can know how it went!
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How to Dry Basil – Oven or Dehydrator
Equipment
- Food Dehydrator optional
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh basil, any kind
Instructions
Prep Basil
- Harvest or buy basil. Remove the leaves from the stems.
- Rinse basil leaves gently.* Pat dry with a towel or spin in a salad spinner (or roll in a towel and leave overnight in the fridge).
- To make dried basil, choose either of the following drying methods:
Oven:
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees (use convection bake if you have it to increase airflow). Lay basil leaves on a baking tray in a single layer. Some will say to line with parchment, it's up to you – I never bother and don't seem to need it.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour until dry and crispy, depending on the size of your leaves (really large leaves may take longer). As you can see, the color changes and they shrink a lot. TIP: I've found there's no need to crack oven door open, even without a convection oven.
Dehydrator:
- Lay out basil leaves in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Dry at 95-120 degrees (higher heat if your kitchen is more humid) for 6-10 hours, checking often, until the leaves crumble when rubbed.
- The basil is dry when the leaves are totally crispy and crumble easily. They shouldn't bend or have any soft areas, but sound crunchy and fall apart in your fingers. This may take longer than 10 hours, depending on your dehydrator, kitchen humidity, and type of basil.
Store
- Crumble (or not). For both methods when the leaves are dry, pour them from the trays into a small bowl and use your fingers to crumble the leaves evenly. OR you can store the leaves whole and crumble when using them. (You can also use a spice grinder (or coffee grinder dedicated to herbs) or food processor to get smaller, more even pieces.)
- Place basil crumbles or whole leaves into small glass jars with airtight lids. Label and date: this is IMPORTANT because once it's in your spice shelf, it will look similar to a lot of other greenish herbs!
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Freeze drying is also a great way to dry basil.
I also freeze dry all my herbs, and make my own blend.
That is a great option for people who have freeze dryers!