Can you dry Basil leaves, for recipes? Sage leaves too?

[Green Mantis]

I just wanted to ask, can you dry basil leaves for cooking later?

Or freeze them?

Basil doesn't usually live through the winter here, in the house I mean.

Definately wouldn't live outside! Too cold. Brrrr.

Also can you dry Sage leaves?

How do you store both?

Thanks in advance.

[applestar]

I thought this was a good idea:
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... hp?p=84998
I don't like oily food in direct contact with plastic bags, so I sandwich the prepared leaves between parchment paper.

I also just de-stem and put in freezer bags to be used up in a couple of weeks. The frozen leaves crumble in the bag and can be easily used to scatter and flavor recipes.

Make pesto and freeze dollops on parchment-lined cookie sheet, then put individual lumps in freezer bag. (I don't bother with ice cube trays -- extra greasy something to wash later -- but some people make neat "cubes" that way.)

Sage almost dries by itself. I keep whole de-stemmed, dried leaves in a jar and crumble/rub between hands to use.

[Green Mantis]

applestar.........Thank you Sooooo much for that link. "Very" interesting.

Much apprecciatted.

[Ohio Tiller]

We put it in the dehydrator for a week and it is ready to crumble. I store it in a small Tupperware container

[rainbowgardener]

I dry basil and sage all the time - that's what the stuff you buy in the store in little jars is, just dried leaves.

Any of a variety of methods works without a dehydrator. Spread the leaves (stripped off the stems) on a cookie sheet. Put in the oven on the lowest it will go. After ten minutes or so, turn the oven off without opening the door. In an hour or so, check the leaves. If not thoroughly dry (crisp), stir them around a little, turn the oven on again for another ten minutes and wait. (You want to dry the leaves, not bake them.)

Or band the bottom of the stems together, put them inside a paper bag and hang upside down in a dark dry place until dry.

Or if you are having sunny dry (not humid) weather, just spread them out in the sun. Since we are in big drought, I just sun dried some sage and oregano.

Once dried, just strip off the stems, if you didn't already, crumble slightly and stuff into little glass jars and close up. I save all my spice jars and other smallish jars, like jelly jars, etc., for re-using with my home dried herbs. Keep the stored jars of herbs out of direct sun.

[greenstubbs]

Or if you are having sunny dry (not humid) weather, just spread them out in the sun.

NO, never dry herbs in the sun! The sun is the worst enemy when drying herbs. It kills the flavor bigtime, your better off drying them in the garage or someplace thats warm/hot without the sun hitting what your drying. Not only have I read this, but I've also tried it and it's true. The herb that's dried without the sun has a much more pungant odor and a stronger taste. I have over a gallon bag of dried sage and need to dry more.

[Green Mantis]

If I bought a dehydrator, what would be the "best" one?

I really would like to buy one big enough, and good enough to last for years.

Any ideas or help please?

[sepeters]

you can also dry the flowers and they're quite nice

[Meatburner]

We chop the herbs a little, put in ice cube trays, pour warm water over them and freeze them. Works perfectly. Pop them out and put in labelled baggies for use all winter.

[ElizabethB]

Wow - lots of sophistacated methods. I just set the leaves sans stems on paper towels in my kitchen window.

They dry. I crumble them up and store in old herb or seasoning containers in the pantry.

[SOB]

I like to tie the ends together in bunches and hang them from my garage door track for a few weeks. Once they are dry enough to crumble I strip them off the stems and into a baggie.