Drying herb leaves

[Ader1]

How do I go about doing this? I've got some Holy Basil which isn't possible to get around here but I've managed to get some over the net. I read in the book 'It Rains Fishes' that the author has dried Holy Basil in the past for later use. I've also seen dried Kaffir Lime leaves in the shops which might also be a good idea in the future for me. How does one go about doing this? Just stick them in an airing cupboard or whatever? I'm going to buy a dryer one day but they are quite expensive. Any help much appreciated.

[LindaK]

Over in the eG Culinary Institute class on Preservation Basics there's a brief description of how to dry herbs in a low oven. It notes that basil does not dry well.

[nakji]

Can you freeze them? I remember taking a cooking class in Thailand, and the cook recommended freezing the herbs over drying them, as they retain more of their flavour that way, supposedly. I've never tried it, as that was the last time I saw holy basil. The same goes for kaffir lime leaves, I recall.

[Ader1]

I can try freezing them but I've tried it with Thai Sweet Basil and they turn almost black. I've read that this is the case so it wasn't just me. In a Thai Green Curry....you wouldn't want black bits bobbing around on top of it. Maybe there isn't an effective way of preserving basil.

Thanks for the replies.

[Nayan Gowda]

I'd favour an Italianate solution and whizz up the basil in some oil. Still won't be able to keep it indefinitely, but it will extend the time you can use it.

[KennethT]

I don't think the basil will freeze well, and I think the flavor will change if dried... However, the kaffir lime leaves freeze really well... just put them in a ziplock bag and squeeze the air out and stick them in the freezer... when you need some, take out as many leaves as you need and put the rest back in... the leaves you take out defrost on the counter in roughly the same amount of time it takes to slice them....

[Dianabanana]

I wonder if you could blanch and then freeze them, maybe packed in a little grapeseed oil. I recently made the Lime Noodles from Asian Flavors of Jean Georges. One component of it is an herb paste made with mint and basil, where you first blanch the herbs. They stay bright green, as you'd expect, but also stay very flavorful. I was surprised--I would have thought a lot of the flavor would wash out. Some did, but I think you lose a lot less than you would by drying. (The recipe is fantastic, too, if anyone is interested.)

The lime leaves you can definitely just freeze.

[rooftop1000]

For regular Basil I usually puree it with some oil then freeze flat in a zip bag so I can break off pieces.

Last autumn I grabbed the last of my basil off the plant before a freeze and tossed it (literally) in the fridge, it wound up getting forgotten about and pushed to the back and it dried quite nicely sitting there on the shelf

tracey

[tim]

Ader,

I have dried basil many times in a convection oven at 150 degrees. I then crumble the herbs, seal them in glass jars and freeze. The flavor does not deteriorate and in significantly better than dried herbs from spice companies.

Tim

[egale]

I grow holy basil every summer in my garden. It is terrific fresh. In my opinion the green variety is more flavorful than the purple variety. (I've grown both.) Holy basil is not like other basils; it is tougher and requires more cooking time.

To answer your question, I dry it by spreading it out on newspapers on my living room floor where the afternoon sun warms the room. I store the dried leaves whole in a glass mason jar in my pantry.

Many sources report that whole kaffir lime leaves freeze quite well in ziploc bags with the air squeezed out. I've never tried because I have trees growing and always have a fresh supply.

Good luck!

[KarenDW]

Drying procedure: I remove all the stems, then place leaves into a mesh bag (such as one would use for delicate laundry), and leave on a cooling rack in a sunny place (indoors or outdoors). An open window is particularly helpful, on a dry day. When leaves are completely dry, remove from mesh, and store in mason jars. For Holy Basil, I would leave in small sprigs, then remove the stems after drying.

Freezing basil: I have frozen leaves, unblanched, in ziplock bags; these I use for cooked applications. Just prior to use, I crush the bag, which has the effect of "chopping" the brittle leaves. The leaves do darken significantly in the freezing process. For applications where I want a bright green color, I puree the leaves with some neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower), then freeze in a ziplock bag, breaking off pieces for use.

[Chris Hennes]

I can't recall where I got this idea (Alton Brown, maybe?) but sandwiching them between two cheap furnace filters and the strapping that to a box fan does the job fairly quickly, too.

[ruthcooks]

I dry herbs in the microwave. They taste fresher than purchased dry herbs. I keep them in mason jars with a crumpled up paper towel.