Basil is an aromatic herb that is beneficial for health as well as being one of the best ingredients for flavoring food. In fact, basil is still useful for your food even if it has been dried. Drying basil is important to maintain its quality over time. So, here we will explain the best way to dry basil using the oven or by other methods.
Drying basil in the oven is very easy, you just need to take the basil, cut it, put it on a baking sheet and set the oven temperature to the lowest temperature so it will take you about 1.5 to 4 hours to get the basil completely dry.
Here we will explain to you some of the best ways to dry basil, hopefully you will get the best way with the best results.
In this article, we’ll explain to you how to dry basil in the oven and include some alternative methods for those of you who don’t have an oven or don’t like using an oven. Even in this article, we will also explain to you how to harvest basil and how to wash it so that the results of drying basil will really satisfy you.
Table of Contents
Drying Basil in the Oven
The oven is a cake baking machine, but you can use the oven to speed up the herbal drying process including drying the basil leaves for longer shelf life. It’s easy to do, safe and effective. But to get maximum results from drying basil, there are a few tips that you must master.
Here are some things to consider when preparing basil leaves for drying in the oven:
- Wash and dry the basil thoroughly before you try to dry the leaves. If your basil has different humidity levels, the drying time will also vary.
- Now, prepare the basil leaves that you want to dry, remove all the stems because we will only dry the leaves for future use.
- Make sure there are no drips of water or steam while drying. Place the basil as flat as possible on the baking sheet so that the heat flows evenly and can affect the drying process better. To get an even basil leaf, place a paper towel on it and place the tray on the paper towel (5 minutes), this will apply pressure to your basil so that it lies flat.
- You can also air dry the basil for two or three days before putting it in the oven. This will reduce the time you dry in the oven and of course this is better.
Tools and Materials:
– Baking pan – has enough space to spread the basil without touching
– Serrated silicone cake mat, this is not mandatory, only recommended. You can get it on Amazon
- The ridges will provide space above and below the basil so that the air flow is more even and this affects a better drying process.
- If you need alternative materials, you can use a metal grill rack.
– Prepare parchment paper
– How to Dry Basil in the Oven
Now, after you have prepared all the ingredients, now you can dry your basil in the oven, see how to dry basil in oven below.
- Preheat your oven to 170-180 F, this is the lowest setting in your oven. If your oven’s lowest setting is above 180F, then leave the oven door slightly ajar (to keep the temperature from getting too hot).
- If you are using a silicone cake mat, then place it on your baking sheet
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper
- Spread your basil and feel one layer only, between the leaves and the other leaves do not hit (not sticky).
- Bake at that temperature for 1.5 to 4 hours.
Note: This drying time varies, depending on the temperature you set.
- If 1 hour has passed, then now check your basil every fifteen minutes (15 minutes). This is so that it doesn’t burn.
- If your basil has been dried, now proceed to the next step:
- Remove from the oven when the basil leaves are crushed when touched
- Wait for it to cool completely, as it will be crispier when cold.
- Dried herbs will remain fragrant and flavorful even after being crushed. If you like finely ground basil leaves, you can crush them using a pestle and mortar or you can use a blender.
- Then, transfer your basil powder or basil leaves to an airtight, transparent glass container. Store the container in a dry and cool place, away from direct sunlight, it will last for 6 months to a year.
Alternative Methods for Drying Basil
In addition to drying basil using the oven, there are other ways you can try, here we write a review on the topic of alternative methods for drying basil.
Using is something that every home cook does. Not only fast but also practical. That’s why we explain how to dry in the oven first. Now we will try to share how to dry basil with an alternative method. This is useful for those of you who don’t have an oven or don’t want to use it. Consider one of these alternative methods for roasting your favorite basil.
1. Drying basil using microwave
In addition to using the oven, can you dry the basil in the microwave? Of course, there are many videos on youtube.com that give reviews about drying basil using the microwave, you only need 60 seconds for this.
Drying basil in the microwave can be done but the consequence is that your basil leaves will change color, soft aroma, and change in taste, and nutrition. So, if you want to microwave dry, think again.
Using a microwave will crack the basil essential oil and render it useless. So, you should use another method i think.
Also see: 10 Best Health Benefits of Mint Leaves
2. Drying basil with a dehydrator
Maybe it’s not the same as a microwave, using a dehydrator is a great option to save time drying basil.
Before drying the basil, make sure you cut it and clean it as in the oven method. Before using a dehydrator, dry it in the air as best you can. Then, arrange the basil on the dehydrator tray, placing the pads in a single layer and not overlapping or stacking each other. Place the dehydrator tray. The dehydrator you are using has a certain herbal setting option, use the lowest (lowest) temperature available, this is around 95 F.
How long does it take for the basil to be completely dry? This depends on the humidity in your home. If you are in a very dry place or location, it may take you only 6 hours to dry the basil. There are also those that take up to 24 hours to dry completely.
When the basil leaves are really crunchy and crumble to the touch, you can lift them up and put them in storage like a spice jar.
3. How to dry basil in the air
There is one more way to dry your basil, this is probably more natural and uses only air. Of course, such a way to get better and tastier results. If you don’t have any equipment like oven or dehydrator, then this is the best alternative for you. Not only quality results but also can get a taste and aroma that is still strong.
However, air drying takes longer, and the results are tastier. So, there are pluses and minuses. The plus is that you can get satisfying results with a delicious aroma and the minus is that it takes a relatively long time.
Drying herbs in the air usually hangs them upside down, which is perfect if they have strong or large stems. Unlike the case with basil, the stems are small, so you have to dry them in the air by placing them flat on a drying rack.
You can remove the leaves one by one and place them on a drying rack, this will speed up the drying process than if you don’t remove the leaves from the stem. Usually, this natural air-drying process takes about a week to dry completely. If you have a lot of basil that you want to dry, then this method is better to use because we prioritize the quality and aroma and deliciousness of the basil in the future.
Table for drying basil
Drying basil using the oven and using other equipment such as a microwave, dehydrator or by drying it in the air will get different results. In addition to different results, the time you need is also different and the temperature settings are different. For details, see the table for drying basil using each method.
| Appliance | Temperature | Time | Results |
| Oven | 170 – 180F | 1.5 – 4 hours | Very good, but easy to overheat in an oven so needs careful attention |
| Microwave | High | 60+ seconds | Useless – flavorless, colorless, aromaless |
| Dehydrator | Herb setting or lowest setting possible | 6 – 24 hours | Best results |
| Air Drying Rack | Hot and dry as possible | 1+ week | Very good if done right, potential to mold if humidity is inappropriate for drying |
How to Harvest Basil to Get more Production
If you want your basil to continue to produce lots of leaves, then at harvest time you can cut the stems. But pay attention not to cut the stems of more than a third of the plant at any given time.
So, ideally this basil plant should be about 6 inches tall before you start picking the leaves. But if you want to harvest more leaves, wait until the plant is 8 inches tall. If you only need one or two leaves, you can pick the leaves as needed. But if you harvest in large quantities, you can cut the stems, if you want these stems to grow back, then do as we mentioned above.
More: 9 Best Foods to Improve your Mood
How to Clean Basil
This is not as easy as imagined, you should not wash with too much water because it can wilt and you also have to be careful to look at the dirt so that the basil leaves and clean.
Before washing basil leaves, remove any leaves that are damaged or have spots or holes. Fill a bowl with clean, cold water and add the basil leaves. Stir with your fingers and rub the leaves until they are clean and all dust or dirt falls off. Do not run water directly over the leaves as this can damage your basil.
Once clean, remove and place on a kitchen towel to dry (use a clean towel).
Note: When removing the leaves from the water, do not drain as this can allow the sinking dirt to hit the leaves again. But the way is to lift the leaves from the bowl, and leave the water in the bowl until you lift the whole basil leaves.
