You really don't want to use heat when drying herbs, though. ", "This article answered all of my questions on oven drying basil. A bit of air flow dries the leaves more quickly. Guess again! It is easier to handle whole leaves through the drying process, rather than tiny chopped pieces. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. Cut the herbs from the plant before it gets too hot. Click on another answer to find the right one... What should you protect your basil leaves from as they dry? The leaf should break into small pieces, but not dust. Dry basil has a more intense flavor when it is fresh but it degrades quickly. Lay each leaf in a single layer on the racks and allow them to dry in the machine until completely crisp. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Dry basil has a more intense flavor when it is fresh but it degrades quickly. Basil leaves have the most oil just before the plant flowers, so harvesting them at this point will ensure that the dried basil has as much flavor as possible. If you're using the oven, set it to the lowest temperature - 200 °F (93 °C) or lower. Our comprehensive basil growing guide has all the info you need to maximize your harvest.

It's best to dry basil indoors so bugs don't eat away at the leaves.

Now, I have learned two, "I'm growing basil and have too much to use fresh. This oil packs flavor, but quickly disappears when the plant flowers. Can I add the flowers to the dried basil mixture? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow.

This article received 16 testimonials and 97% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.

Dried herbs are generally three to four times stronger than the fresh herb.

The drying process takes about two weeks, so think carefully about the spot you choose. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Check them every minute and remove any that are dry to prevent burning. Drying fresh basil is an easy way to preserve the fresh lemony-anise to spicy-pepper flavor of the herb. Drying basil is an easy way to save the delicious leaves and provide you with that summer taste even in winter. What makes basil even more appealing as a plant from a gardener’s point of view is how easy it is to grow, harvest, and store it. There’s a better option out there! Approved.

", "Wasn't sure how and when to cut the basil, so this really helped. If you're in a hurry, though, you can dry basil in the oven or a food dehydrator instead. Then, readers like me also learned when to harvest this herb for maximum flavor for cooking. You should protect your bundles of leaves from only one of these answers. Click on another answer to find the right one... {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0a\/Dry-Basil-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Basil-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0a\/Dry-Basil-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid1091856-v4-728px-Dry-Basil-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"