This article will show you how to dry basil two ways: either using a food dehydrator or in the oven. When herbs are dehydrated and the moisture content is removed, it makes them much more concentrated. How to Store Fresh Basil in Olive Oil. The great news is since it grows so abundantly, it can be stored in many different ways. In the end, you’ll be left with crispy, flavorful dried basil that can store in your pantry for well over a year. On the other hand, if you dried only a small handful and plan to use it within a month or so, feel free to crumble it all now for storage. Before you start, wash basil in cold water and dry; a salad spinner works well for this step. It should remain very flavorful and crisp for over a year stored in the pantry. And a lot more! Fresh basil can stay perky like this for many days! Now offering Organic Sourdough Starter! Either way will get the job done! No content on this site, including text and photos, may be reused in any fashion without written permission. Divide among ice cube tray sections. If you are not able to process the basil immediately after harvesting, simply store the cut stems in a glass of water on the counter as you would a bouquet of cut flowers. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay –LyubovKardakova) By freezing basil as purée instead of whole leaves, you can easily use it for cooking later. Allow the basil to dry until it is totally crispy and crumbles easily. Yet while pesto is excellent with many meals, it admittedly isn’t the most versatile thing in the world, and does require a few other ingredients to prepare. I was wondering if I can use this process for other herbs as well like oregano, parsley and thyme? Fully dry basil will fade to a light olive green color and shrink significantly in size. One or two Basil cubes will be wonderful in fresh spagetti sauce, tossed into a salad or spread on pizza. 5 Reasons To Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis (And Taking Up Less Space Isn’t One Of Them). Back in the freezer they go, to be pulled out whenever we want Basil. Add a date and label if needed! She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy. Simply chop up the leaves, and fill your trays. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. Basil has numerous health-promoting properties. Remove basil leaves from the stem portion, and discard (compost) the stems. Popular Brown Paper Flooring Follow-Up: How Are They 4 Years Later? I’m all about simple living, real food, and everything plants. On the flip side, use three times the amount of fresh basil instead of dry basil. This is an especially important consideration when drying medicinal herbs and flowers. Like most things, homegrown or homemade dry basil puts store-bought dried basil to absolute shame! If you need tips on when and how to harvest basil, check out our basil growing guide. To freeze your basil, pull leaves from stems. To process whole dry basil leaves into a flaky ground seasoning, simply crush up the leaves into your desired consistency. You probably don’t need much advice here, right? Watch Now: The Best Ways to Preserve Basil Freezing Basil Oil or Pesto After you've blanched, chilled, and patted your basil dry, strip the leaves from the stems. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Do not overlap the leaves! No matter what tool you use, ensure it is 100% dry as to not accidentally re-introduce moisture to your dry basil! I’ve got five plants that have been giving me fresh basil for months (and yes, I used this when they were small to keep the bugs off and they then grew like mad!). Please do not copy and publish full recipes. This is a general rule of thumb when swapping out any type of dry herbs for fresh herbs. Next, spread the basil leaves out in an even. Disclaimer: All content provided on An Oregon Cottage is for informational purposes only. Homemade dry basil should stay crunchy and delicious for well over a year, though the intensity of flavor and aroma will degrade with time. Did your farmer’s market box get stuffed with bunches of basil? Have a lot and I dried some per your instructions for the first time. You can simply freeze the whole basil leaves or chop them and store them in a container or freezer bag, but keep in mind that they might shrink a little. Whether it's baking bread, creating a floor from paper and glue, or growing vegetables and canning them, Jami's done it and written about it. If you’re going to dry basil in the oven, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature setting now (usually 175-200F for most ovens). Sounds a lot less messy. Kind of like I am right now. Follow these processing and storage tips to create the most fresh-tasting and long-lasting dry basil possible. Adding dry basil and other herbs later is a simple way to elevate that sauce to a marinara. Not only is it possible, Current table centerpiece, giving us alll the, Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, such as Amazon links. Read more…. Keep in touch with our weekly newsletter and receive a FREE digital, printable garden planning toolkit! I hope you enjoyed this easy tutorial, and hopefully learned something new. Please feel free to ask questions or simply say hi in the comments below, and spread the love by sharing this article. Hang Basil to Dry. In the end, you’ll be left with crispy, flavorful dried basil that can store in your pantry for well over a year. That said, the dehydrator method may take a few more hours (up to a full day) longer than the oven method. So when you’re done with pesto and you still need to deal with a lot of basil leaves before winter comes, these recipes will come to your rescue. Every summer, we also make and preserve a very simple and delicious roasted tomato sauce – and intentionally omit herbs from the base sauce to keep it as versatile as possible. The shop update is live, compl, Cheers to bountiful fall harvests, whole foods and, ✨ Just a pretty peek of the garden for you. Filed Under: Preserving Food Recipes & Tips, Whole Food Recipes Tagged With: basil. Whole dry basil leaves retain aromatic oils and flavor better than crushed leaves over time. Great ideas! Even if you aren’t growing your own, I highly suggest snagging a big beautiful bunch of basil at your local farmer’s market while it’s in season to dry it up! Preserving Basil In Oil. I may make a small commission from purchases made through some of those links, at no extra cost to you. Dry: Set your oven to the lowest temperature. Therefore, dry basil is a welcome addition to homemade loose-leaf tea, tinctures, or other medicinal plant concoctions. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. We don’t usually don’t dry our thyme, oregano, rosemary, or sage because we can grow it throughout the year here.
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