Asked on Aug 04, 2013

Drying my Basil out?

Ann S
by Ann S
Can I dry out my Basil with a dehydrater? I've rinsed them off & put them on a tray with a towel under them & it's taking forever? And now have lots more to do yet! Help!!!
Basil w/ 2 brown chili peppers behind them. Today 8.4.13
Just rinsed off!
2 wks ago
  23 answers
  • Walderez Abreu da Silva Walderez Abreu da Silva on Aug 04, 2013
    Ajudar a responder a esta pergunta ...
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Aug 04, 2013
    @Ann S Sure! Just make sure it's on the lowest setting. I've done herbs this way for YEARS! ;)
  • Ann S Ann S on Aug 04, 2013
    Cool thanks, then for how long about @ Sia@South 47th. Will get it out tomorrow to look at it, Hubby wanted it yrs ago but hasn't been used for yrs either & was used only a couple of times.
  • Sounds reasonable to me too. You can also use your oven on lowest setting and watch carefully.
  • Catherine Smith Catherine Smith on Aug 05, 2013
    Of course you can do them in your dehydrator. I do most of my herbs that way all the time. Not a problem.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Aug 05, 2013
    Dried basil is pretty easy to get in bulk from spice suppliers...When I had my garden running I would use the FRESH basil for pesto. A simple mix with olive oil and garlic (I would add the cheese when cooking) is "made" in the food processor, then packed in small ziploc freezer bags and frozen. Fresh garden pesto in Jan...is a treat.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Aug 05, 2013
    @Ann S It all depends on the type of dehydrator you have. I really don't time mine, I just put them on each layer, being careful not to 'crowd' them, turn on low and ck back every so often to see if they're ready. ;)
  • Ann S Ann S on Aug 05, 2013
    Ok thanks everyone, got it all washed in cleaned & ready to go, so giving it a try!
  • Phillip Williams Phillip Williams on Aug 06, 2013
    Several sources I have seen recommend that you roughly chop large leaved herbs to reduce the time needed for good drying. The smell of the basil drying in the dehydrator really perfumes the house!
  • Kathy Kathy on Aug 06, 2013
    I have dries my basil, but I also freeze it. I chop the leaves with a little water to help the leaves chop finer. I then squeeze out some of the water and place the basil in ice cube trays and freeze them. It takes a short while to freeze. I then take them out of the trays and bag them put them back in. When I want fresh basil I just take a cube out and add it to what ever I am cooking.
  • Marilee H Marilee H on Aug 06, 2013
    You might also want to try freezing. Chop, put in olive oil or water in ice cube trays, and freeze. Then transfer to bags. I prefer this, because they still taste like fresh (I think dried basil tastes different).
  • Cynthia B Cynthia B on Aug 06, 2013
    I cut the stalks low on the plant and tie 6-8 together with twine. Then I hang them upside down for a week or so. Once they are dry, I put the tied stalks into a paper bag and mash. The leaves crumble and go to the bottom of the bag. The stalk and stems stay intact; and at the bottom of the bag you have crushed basil flakes.
  • Donna Fryman Donna Fryman on Aug 06, 2013
    yes you can dry basil in the dehydrator. or you can dry it in a microwave. I did some last night. this will work for small amounts easily. I have a higher watt microwave so i used it at 70% power for thirty seconds at a time. place the dry leaves on a paper towel.
  • Grannylannie Grannylannie on Aug 06, 2013
    What about in the oven?
  • Desiree Desiree on Aug 06, 2013
    Like @Kathy, I always freeze my basil. After washing the leaves, I let it dry, then put it in a Ziploc and freeze it. Then whenever I need to use it, just take some and crumble it into the dish. I do this every year when I make tomato sauce.
  • Charlene Waller Charlene Waller on Aug 06, 2013
    You can also dry in your car. Just put the herbs on a cookie sheet and put it in the car, on the seat or in the rear window. Works great for me.
  • Helena Helena on Aug 06, 2013
    I dont dry my herbs.I rinse,let dry and freeze them as is.
  • Pauline Cobb Choate Pauline Cobb Choate on Aug 07, 2013
    I put my basil in the blender with a bit of olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen I store in freezer bags. Then when I need a bit of seasoning in a sauce or soup, I take out a cube or two and I'm set. SO many ways to preserve the fruits of Nature. :-)
  • Phillip Williams Phillip Williams on Aug 08, 2013
    I did a big batch yesterday. Because of the thick fleshy nature of Basil doing a rough chop on it helps speed the process. My dehydrator uses a very low temp, but I increase it to about 120 degrees F so that it doesn't take two days...
  • Diane Diane on Aug 09, 2013
    Near the end of the season of leafy herbs, I found the easiest way to dry lots of herbs was to cut them close to the base & tie them together w/string. After that, you can swish them in water to clean them & then hang them in cool place to dry. Doesn't take very long at all because air circulates around them. Now they are ready to go!
  • Ann S Ann S on Aug 10, 2013
    Thanks everyone for all the great ideas!
  • Janice Janice on Aug 13, 2013
    Here are directions for drying herbs including basil in your microwave. http://www.homegrown.org/profiles/blogs/drying-basil-in-the-microwav
  • Terry C Terry C on Aug 11, 2014
    These are all great ideas! I love Charlene's idea of putting the leaves in the car and letting them dry out naturally! Now, that's creative! Makes your car smell good too!