Dried Basil
Fresh basil is gently dried at low temperature to optimally preserve its sweet, spicy aroma. Unlike industrially dried basil, home-dried herb retains significantly more flavor. Perfect for tomato sauces, pestos, and pizza.
Instructions
Preparation
15–20 min.Pluck basil leaves individually from the stems. Gently swirl in a bowl of cold water to remove dirt. Place on clean kitchen towels and pat completely dry – residual moisture significantly increases drying time.
Drying
4–8 hrs.Spread basil leaves in a single layer on dehydrator trays and dry at 35–40 °C. Basil is delicate – temperatures that are too high destroy the essential oils and turn the leaves brown. Check for the first time after 4 hours.
Quality Control
5 min.The leaves are fully dried when they crumble easily and no longer show any flexibility. The color should be dark green to slightly brownish. Leaves that are still flexible should be dried for another 1–2 hours.
Bottling
5 min.Let dried leaves cool, then coarsely crumble and fill into airtight spice jars. Label with date. Shelf-stable for up to 12 months at room temperature away from light.
Pro Tip
Basil loses a lot of volume when dried – from 300 g fresh basil you get only about 30–40 g of dried product. For a more intense flavor, crumble the leaves between your fingers just before use.
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