Cooking Tips

Drying Basil: This Way You Can Use it Longer

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Drying basil is not difficult, but it is worth it: you can use dried basil to refine your dishes all year round. Here you can find out what you have to consider when drying basil.

Dry basil: in the air

Basil is particularly indispensable in Italian cuisine and should therefore not be missing from homemade pizza and pasta. But especially without a garden or balcony, you don’t always have fresh basil at hand – you can prevent that by stocking up on the dried herbs. Like other herbs, you can dry basil in the oven or food dehydrator. However, it is much more energy-efficient to simply let the plant air dry.

Use scissors to cut the basil leaves off the stem. Leave as much of the stem as possible so you can bundle the leaves later. The leaves just before flowering are best, as they are at their most aromatic at this time.
You can use flexible wire or string to tie the individual leaves together by the stem and then hang them on a hook or similar device. An airy place with some sun exposure is best.
After about two weeks, your basil leaves will be completely dry; depending on the location, the drying process can also be faster. You can tell they’re dry enough by the fact that you can simply crumble them with your fingers.
Now you can put the leaves in a sealable jar or other container.

Drying basil: in the oven

If you don’t have the time to air dry, drying the basil in the oven is a much more time-saving option. All you have to do is spread your picked leaves evenly on a tray and let them bake for about 20 minutes at the lowest temperature. It is best to leave the tray in the closed oven overnight to ensure that the basil leaves are completely dry. Then you can also fill them in a suitable container. It is advisable to use this method only in exceptional cases due to the increased energy consumption.

Dry basil: these are the advantages

Drying basil is – like preserving other foods – ecologically advisable.
The basil pots from the supermarket in particular usually don’t last long – before they die, it makes sense to dry and store the leaves immediately. In this way you can counteract food waste, at least in small steps.
If you have a garden where you grow basil, you can save it from the cold season by drying the leaves—that way you’ll also have a supply for next spring.
Dried spices or herbs are available in supermarkets and also in most organic markets, almost only packed in plastic. If you dry your basil yourself at home, you also save on packaging.

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