Victoria Nikolaenko, Crimea
Of all the ways to harvest greens, I prefer drying. Would you like to know how you can dry basil at home so that it retains its taste and aroma?
At home, basil can be dried both on the street or balcony, and using kitchen devices.
To harvest dried basil, the material is collected in late June - early July, before the plant blooms. The second stage is possible in the fall - in September, when the basil gives a second harvest.
On fresh air There are two ways to dry basil:
Separate leaves for drying are laid out in one layer
Bunch dried basil It is considered the most fragrant, and the drying process is very simple. Young branches with 8-12 leaves are cut from the plant. The blanks are washed with water and tied in small bouquets. Bouquets are hung from a rope in the shade on the street, balcony, attic, or barn.
Important! When exposed to direct sunlight and high temperature essential oils contained in basil large quantities, steamy, and spicy and medicinal properties basilica are lost.
For basil, the place in which it will dry is very important. It must be in the shade, dry and well ventilated. From high humidity when dried, basil acquires bad smell(hay or rotten), and under the influence of sunlight it darkens, loses its taste and aroma.
Drying basil in bunches
Basil can be dried in this way for up to three weeks. In the future, only the spice leaves are used. When the basil is completely dry, you need to tear off the leaves and store them in an airtight container.
Can be dried and separate basil leaves. To do this, remove the leaves from freshly cut branches, wash them and place them on a baking sheet to dry. The baking sheet is covered with paper or cloth. Window screens are good for drying basil. The top of the baking sheet or mesh can be covered with a single layer of gauze so that insects do not land on the leaves and dust does not fall.
Basil leaves are dried for several days. The conditions for drying are the same: shade, dryness, good ventilation. Finally, chop the leaves and store them.
Basil should be dried in the oven at a temperature above 40 degrees
You can dry basil (like spinach or mushrooms) in the oven. The prepared leaves are laid out on a baking sheet and sent to the oven. To preserve the aroma, taste and beneficial properties oven-dried basil, you must follow some rules:
Dry the basil in the oven for about an hour. Then the cabinet is turned off, and the basil remains in it for another 12 hours (or overnight). The basil preparation is stored in a dark place in an airtight container.
The result of drying basil in the microwave
You can also dry basil in the microwave. This will only take a few minutes. The leaves, washed and dried with a napkin, are placed on a plate. At high power, drying will take 2-3 minutes. During this time, the leaves will dry and will not lose their gastronomic value. Dried basil preparations are stored in a cool, dark place.
Properly dried basil retains its unique aroma and taste, and the drying process itself is easy and affordable.
Basil is an annual herbaceous cultivated plant, which housewives often grow in beds or in pots. The amazing properties of this herb have made it extremely popular and in demand in cosmetology and even in medicine. The fragrant aroma of basil will transform any dish, and its unique composition will fill the menu with vitamins and valuable elements. At one time, healers used the herb as a remedy to treat many diseases, achieving significant improvement in the patient's condition. Thanks to this, in Rus' at one time basil was considered a royal herb, and in India - a sacred plant.
Of course, it is most convenient to use fresh basil sprigs and leaves for your purposes. But it is not always possible to constantly maintain the availability of a young harvest. It is advisable to simply prepare fragrant grass in the summer for the winter. One of the most accessible and convenient ways to preserve a plant and all its properties is drying. Today we will talk about it and tell you when to collect and how to properly dry basil at home.
For drying, as well as for using basil in fresh It is necessary to take young branches of four to six leaves, preventing them from flowering. It is at this stage of plant growth that the leaves concentrate maximum quantity essential oils and valuable properties. Collection is recommended to be done in dry weather. You can dry both stems and leaves. The latter are perfect for adding to various dishes, and the stems can be used to flavor and infuse vegetable oil on them or to enrich the taste of various marinades and pickles.
Undoubtedly the most in a simple way drying is hanging twigs collected in small bunches in a dry, warm and well-ventilated place. IN in this case It is necessary to avoid exposing the basil to direct sunlight, which will contribute to the volatilization of essential oils and the loss of all the valuable and aromatic properties of the herb. It will take about three weeks on average to dry basil in this way.
To speed up the process, you can use the oven or, if available.
Before drying basil in an electric dryer, you need to rinse the sprigs, dry them and tear off the leaves, separating them from the sprigs. We cut the stems into fragments approximately three centimeters long. We lay out the leaves and prepared pieces of stems on different trays and place them in an electric dryer. The temperature during drying should not exceed forty degrees, then the leaves will remain as aromatic, fragrant and healthy as fresh.
The stems take longer to dry than the leaves and, unlike the latter, which will take about six hours, will remain in the electric dryer under the same conditions for about a day.
If you don’t have an electric dryer, you can dry the basil in the oven. We prepare the twigs in the same way by rinsing them, drying them, dividing them into leaves and stems and placing them separately on different baking sheets. The temperature during the entire drying process should be maintained at forty degrees, and the oven door should be slightly open to allow moisture to escape. We check the degree of readiness periodically. Depending on the size of the leaves and their juiciness, drying the leaves in this way will take from five to eight hours. The stems will take a little longer to dry, and the time they stay in the oven will depend on their thickness.
No kitchen is complete without fragrant seasonings for dishes and preparations. All year round Not everyone can afford to have fresh herbs on hand. Some people grow herbs on a windowsill, but the main way to provide yourself with spices for the winter is to dry the plants.
Basil is one of my favorites. fragrant herbs on our table. He has a unique ethereal aroma, and add spicy notes to dishes. At the same time, due to its structure, it does not lose its taste and aromatic properties at all, depending on processing. That is why owners and housewives are happy to add dried basil to sauces, meat, salads and pickles. And to get a really high-quality seasoning, dry basil at home, without relying on packaged spice powder.
Several varieties of basil are known. Visually, you can distinguish green and blue varieties. Dark basil is more fragrant and retains its aroma for a longer time. However, experienced owners recommend mixing different leaves to complete the aromatic mixture. You can dry several varieties to have different seasonings - more delicate and more spicy in flavor, or you can make a rich, aromatic mixture.
There is no clear answer to the question of when to harvest basil for drying for the winter. Some gardeners recommend the moment before flowering begins, others - the actual flowering period. Usually, it is during the period of flower formation that more accumulates in the stems. essential oil, which provides a fragrant spicy aroma. On the other hand, the taste should not become heavy and lose its juicy “green” notes.
For those who are trying to dry basil for the first time, it is recommended to collect some of the leaves for drying even before the flowers appear, and some during the appearance - and determine for your own taste which aroma you like best in order to use this method in the future.
Pay attention! For drying, they use not only the leaves and freed cuttings, but also the hard stems themselves.
Helpful tip: basil sprigs can be used to create thicker spicy mixtures - marinades, pickles, flavoring vegetable oils. They are the ones that will give the “smoky” island aroma. Dried basil leaves are used in dinner cooking - for meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
To effectively dry aromatic herbs, you can use several methods: natural drying in air, which is sometimes carried out even in bunches, preparing herbs in the oven, using an electric dryer, and also in the microwave.
Even thermal drying requires patience - the procedure will take several hours, and in a natural way- several days.
General rules: how to dry basil at home
With either method, the basil will be ready when it is completely dry to the point where it can be ground into powder. Leaves or twigs should not be flexible or elastic.
To prevent basil from losing its aroma after a couple of months, it is preferable to store it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. It is advisable not to crush dry leaves ahead of time and avoid exposing them to sunlight and humid air. Periodically check your seasonings for moisture to avoid mold growth and to avoid throwing away healthy product.
Add dried basil to your favorite dishes. A pinch of spice powder is enough to give food a pleasant, noble taste.
Surely, many will agree that the best seasonings are homemade ones. After all, store-bought ketchups and herbs often contain preservatives, flavor and color enhancers, as well as other “delights” of modern food industry. That’s why it’s better to prepare the goodies yourself. On the one hand, there is nothing easier than taking and drying herbs (like basil) from your garden. But in order for basil to survive until winter and give your dishes an excellent aroma during the cold season, you need to know some subtleties.
So, how to properly dry basil? There are two rules for collecting herbs for drying:
The weather outside should be dry and preferably warm.
It is best to collect herbs during the flowering period. At this time, the plants are not only more fragrant, but also more useful (this also applies to raspberry leaves, which women brew in preparation for childbirth).
If you have already picked or cut herbs (in our case, basil), the algorithm of actions will be as follows: 
1. First, basil should be washed well in several waters. After all, the way we dry it is the way we will add it to dishes.
2. Then you need to spread the basil on a flat surface to dry it slightly.
3. Then we divide the basil into bunches (for example, by color - a bunch of green and a bunch of purple basil) and usually tie them at the base with thread. Leave a tail of thread from which you can hang the bundle.
4. Hang each bunch in a warm room. It is advisable to hang it higher, because it is under the ceiling that the warmest air collects. 
5. Wait a few days for the basil to dry completely to a crispy state.
6. Cut the thread and place the basil in front of you.
7. We tear off the basil leaves and discard the stems.
8. Finely chop the leaves or mash them with your hands until they are finely chopped. 
That's it, dried basil is ready! Now it can be folded into a linen bag or packaged in jars. The basil will be stored there until you need it, for example in cooking.
Spicy herbs such as basil, dill or parsley are undoubtedly best prepared for the winter yourself. Greens can be frozen or dried for future use. Today we will talk about how to properly dry basil. This herb is truly unique in its composition and aromatic properties. Basil is even popularly called the king of herbs. To dry it without losing its aroma and taste, you need to know the intricacies of this process. So how do you dry basil?
You can dry grass of any variety and color, but preference is given to purple basil, as it is best able to retain its aroma.
There are two completely opposing opinions about when to harvest basil for drying. Some argue that this should be done before the flowering period of the plant, while others, on the contrary, at a time when the grass blooms profusely. Both argue their position the greatest content vitamins and aromatic substances.
Basil is also harvested in different ways. Some cut greens with whole branches, while others collect only individual leaves. At the same time, cutting off the entire branch, the remaining stump after a while begins to be overgrown with fresh foliage again. Thus, greens can be cut several times during the season.
There are several options for air drying. After familiarizing yourself with the main ones, you will definitely find the one that is right for you. So:
The drying room must be dry and well ventilated.
Watch the video from the children's culinary channel “I’Sabrik” - How to dry basil
Experienced housewives who often use the method of drying basil in the oven advise drying the stems and leaves separately from each other. Drying process for different parts plants will differ only in drying time.
The leaves are laid out on baking sheets lined with paper in one layer. Before laying out, basil sprigs are cut into pieces 4–5 centimeters long. The oven is heated to a minimum temperature, preferably no higher than 45 degrees, and the basil is placed there.
To ensure good ventilation, insert a towel folded in several layers or an oven mitt into the gap between the door and the oven itself.
The leafy part of the plant will dry for about 2.5 hours, and the branches for 3 - 4 hours. After this time, the oven is turned off, the door is completely closed, and left in this form for 8 - 10 hours.
The grass is laid out on the drying racks, having previously been chopped, as in the previous recipe. For drying, use a special “Herbs” mode. If your unit does not have this function, then it should be dried at a temperature of 40 - 45 degrees. Heating temperatures exceeding these values contribute to the destruction of aromatic essential oils.
Watch the video from the channel “kliviya777” - How to dry basil (we don’t throw away the branches.)
The leaves are laid out on flat plates and placed in the microwave for 2 - 3 minutes at a power of 700 - 800 W. Don't forget to place a paper napkin under the greens. If the basil is not dry, extend the procedure for another 2 minutes.
Basil leaves are laid out on paper and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The cold will draw moisture out of the product in 2 to 3 weeks. It is believed that this method allows you to preserve the aroma of the original product as much as possible.
Leaves and twigs are stored separately. The leaf part can be ground into powder before placing it in a jar, but experienced housewives recommend grinding the herb immediately before adding it to the dish.
Store dried spices in darkened containers with a tightly closed lid. The storage area should be dry and cool.
