Dehydrating Basil: How To Dehydrate Basil In 4 Easy Ways!

If you find you have an abundance of fresh basil in your garden you will find that dehydrating basil is the simplest and easiest way to preserve it before it spoils. Dehydrating fresh basil leaves is one of my favorite ways to preserve basil. I like to grow lots of sweet basil plants every year to dry and preserve to use in all my favorite recipes all year round.

I enjoy giving some away to friends who agree that growing, harvesting, and preserving your basil tastes so much better than store-bought. It also ends up being very inexpensive.

Dehydrating Basil

In the article below I will go over how to dehydrate basil in 4 easy ways step by step and how to properly store and use your dry basil leaves. Drying your basil by using a dehydrator, oven, air fryer, or by air drying, you can pick which method you like best and that will work for you.

Are you ready? Let’s get dehydrating!

What is the best method to dehydrate basil?

This will depend on what you have available to use at home and what you feel comfortable with. I have used all 4 methods to dehydrate and the result is the same.  Some of the drying methods below take longer to dry the basil. The only difference you may find is that if the heat setting is a bit higher in some of the methods below it could turn the basil leaves darker.

Should you wash basil before dehydrating?

Yes, you should wash your basil before dehydrating because this will help to remove any dust, dirt, or insects that may have fallen onto the leaves. I grow some of my basil besides my tomatoes and will find pollen particles on the leaves. I run some cold water in my kitchen sink and put my picked basil leaves into the water. I then gently swish the leaves around to help rinse off any particles that may have fallen on the leaves.

How to dry basil in a dehydrator step by step:

I was recently gifted a food dehydrator just before it was time to harvest my basil. I have used all the other drying basil methods listed below in the past but after using my new dehydrator this year I will say that using a dehydrator to dry fresh basil is my new favorite way to dry basil. It is a faster way to dehydrate herbs with less fuss!

Harvest your basil leaves

It is best to harvest fresh leaves of your basil plants in the morning when it is cool and before the heat of the day. If you are unable to harvest in the morning just be sure to harvest right before you are about to prepare them to dry. You want your basil leaves to be at their freshest state. If you need help harvesting your basil check out our post on how to harvest basil.

Prepare the leaves and wash

Gently pinch off the individual leaves from the stems of basil and toss them into your sink or bucket of cold water. Gently swish your leaves around to help remove the dust, dirt, or any small insects that may be on the basil leaves. Don’t be too rough with your leaves or you might risk bruising them which results in dark spots on the leaves.

Remove the water

To remove the excess water from your basil leaves you can put them in a strainer and let the water drip out and then place them on a towel to blot dry. I like to use my salad spinner which works great and fast to remove the excess water on the leaves.

Set up the dehydrator

Next, you will set up your dehydrator and bring your trays over to layout your basil leaves. Place your leaves out on your dehydrator trays in a single layer leaving a bit of space between each so that the air will circulate nicely around them. If they are touching or overlapping each other then the parts that aren’t touching will dry out faster than then the part touching.

Dry the basil

Place your trays onto your dehydrator. Now depending on which dehydrator you own will determine the heat setting for herbs. Some dehydrators run hotter than others. On my dehydrator, the setting is 110 for herbs. The time will also vary with different models of dehydrators.

How long to dehydrate basil

It will take a long time to fully dehydrate all of your basil. The length of time will vary as well. I found that some of my smaller basil leaves were dry after 6 hours and the whole drying process in the dehydrator took up to 28 hours for drying basil leaves. I suggest you start checking your trays after 6 hours and every 2 – 3 hours after that. I also suggest that you also rotate your trays from the bottom to the top as well. The bottom trays will dry faster than the top ones. Start removing the leaves that are done every time you check.

You will know when your basil is completely dry when it crumbles easily between your fingers. If it isn’t then you will be risking it going bad on you. The goal of dehydrating basil is to have long-term storage to use all year long! The finished dehydrated basil will be much smaller in size and be a pale green color.

How to dry basil in the oven

Drying basil in the oven is another way to dehydrate your basil if you do not own a food dehydrator. Follow the steps below and be sure to check often.

• Wash your basil leaves as mentioned in the above instructions and make sure they are dry. Follow the instructions above for drying your basil leaves.
• Preheat your oven to a low setting of 150 degrees F or the lowest setting that your oven will go. You can open your oven door slightly to help keep it cooler.
• Arrange the washed and dried basil leaves on a baking sheet that has a piece of parchment paper placed on them. Be sure to leave space between each leaf.
• Bake for an hour or longer if needed. Be sure to check frequently and remove the crispy dry leaves.
• Once the basil leaves are dried and cooled, place them in a jar for storage.

How to dry basil in an air fryer

Dehydrating basil in an air fryer is a very quick way to dry basil leaves. You will only be able to small batches at a time so this method works best if you have a small amount of basil to dry.

• Wash and dry your basil leaves as outlined above.
• Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
• Place your dried basil leaves into the basket of your air fryer.
• Place the air fryer trivet/rack over the basil so that the leaves don’t blow around.
• Set your air fryer timer for 3 minutes.
• Take out and shake the basket every minute to help flip over the basil leaves.
• The basil leaves will be fully dry when you can easily crumble them between your fingers.
• Remove the leaves, let them cool down, and then transfer them into a jar for longer storage.

How To Air Dry Basil

Air drying basil does take longer to dry than the other dehydrating basil methods listed above because of the high moisture content in basil. I do like to air dry my basil leaves when I have harvested large amounts of basil at once and the dehydrator can not keep up. I will share with you how I like to air dry my basil leaves.

I have used a clean window screen to lay my basil leaves out on. I simply pick off my basil leaves from the stems. Wash and spin them out. Then I lay them out on my screen to dry. I use two small stools to hold up my screen so there is good air circulation through the screen and between the leaves. Every other day I will gently toss the leaves around to rotate them. It is usually pretty warm in the house because it is summertime so the heat helps to dry out the basil quicker. This process will usually take a good 3 weeks to completely dry out.

So if you have the extra space and patience to wait for the basil to dry out, then air-drying to preserve your basil works great.

Storing Dry Basil Leaves

I like to store my dry basil as whole leaves. Leaving them as whole leaves help to maintain the flavor longer. Once the leaves are crushed or broken up then the essential oils and flavor are released and you will get a lot of flavor that way. That is why it is best to crush the leaves up just before using them.

It is best to store dried basil in glass jars with a well-fitting lid. Keep your jars of dried basil in a dark cool dry place and they will keep till your next harvesting of basil the following year.

How To Use Your Dehydrated Basil

Use your dry basil in your favorite recipes calling for basil. I just grab a few leaves from my jar and crush them up in my hand to toss into my soups, salad dressings, I use lots in my homemade tomato sauce, and anywhere else I feel the taste of basil would be nice.

If you need a finer grind of basil leaves you can use a mortar and pestle to achieve this.

I hope you have found these 4 methods of dehydrating basil helpful and have encouraged you to try and dry your basil leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dehydrating Basil

How long does dehydrated basil last?

If dried and stored properly your dehydrated basil will last up to 2 years.

Can you substitute dried basil for fresh?

Yes, you can substitute dried basils for fresh. Dried basil will have a more concentrated flavor so you will use less dried compared to fresh. A general guideline is 1 tsp. of dried basil will replace 1 tbsp. of fresh basil.

What is the best container to store dried basil in?

It is best to store your dried basil in a glass jar with a good-fitting lid.

Is it better to dehydrate or freeze fresh basil?

Freezing or dehydrating your fresh basil both work to preserve it. It is more of a personal preference. Dehydrating basil is faster, easier, and has a longer shelf life. I love the convenience of just grabbing my jar of dried basil from my cupboard when I need it.

Freezing fresh basil does have more flavor than dried basil and there is more work involved to freeze basil. You could do both ways of preserving your basil and see for yourself which one you prefer best. 🙂

How to dehydrate basil without a dehydrator?

If you do not have a food dehydrator then you can dehydrate your basil using your oven, an air fryer, or by air drying your basil. Follow the step-by-step instructions above to help you out.

Will you try and dehydrate your own fresh basil?

Be sure to check out these related articles

Learn how to grow basil from seed!