How to Dry Basil - Oven or Dehydrator

5 from 1 vote

How to Dry Basil - Oven or Dehydrator

Learn how to dry basil with an oven or dehydrator with these easy-to-follow steps along with tips and ideas to use dried basil all winter long.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Other methods8

Total Time9 5

Course: Basic Staples

Cuisine: American

Servings: small jar

Calories: 0.2kcal

Author: Jami Boys

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

*In my organic garden, I only wash herb leaves if they have obvious dirt on them - it's your choice if you know where the herb came from.

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.

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 even be longer!

How much dried basil do I use in place of fresh?

1 tablespoon of fresh basil leaves = 1 teaspoon of dried.

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