I plant a (small) garden of herbs some years. This year it didn’t do so well, but I was able to get just enough to make dried basil on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. I will be rewarded for my efforts (which granted, weren’t much) this fall and winter with fantastically aromatic and flavorful crumbled basil.
At least with me, I never can use up all of the fresh herbs I buy or grow. The recipe calls for a tablespoon. You have to buy darned near half a bushel it seems. Or it’s time to harvest a lot. The dehydrator is the perfect way to not toss any of the rest of the herbs or watch them go bad in the fridge. I used to grow my own, either outside in pots or inside in the window. Well, kinda the same problem there right? All that dill. Or parsley. What to do with it all? Well, dry it is the answer!
Storing The Basil
Basil turns almost black in color when you dry it, but don’t despair. It’s normal for it to do that. I keep the herbs that I’ve dried using my Nesco Snackmaster Pro in mason jars. I seal the jars with the optional jar sealer on my vacuum sealer. Whew, I said ‘seal’ three times in one sentence! Dried Basil on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro is a great way to use up those herbs that all seem ready to pick at once.
I like to load up my dehydrator. To do that I picked up a handful of extra trays. They really add a whole lot more drying space! Since I have to rotate my trays, I write a number on each one on a piece of blue painter’s tape so I can keep track of them.
- 15.5″ DIAMETER TRAYS: This Add-A-Tray 2-pack…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
- Compatible with 15½” diameter trays. This Fruit…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
- IDEAL FOR SMALL AND STICKY FOODS: Removable mesh…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
You can dry any fresh herbs in the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. Like cilantro and rosemary.
Dried Basil on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh basil rinsed and patted dry. Remove leaves from stems.
Instructions
- Place leaves onto the dehydrator trays.
- Set the dehydrator to 95 F and let dry for 12-24 hours or until the leaves are dry and crispy, rotating the trays every 2 hours.
- Let leaves cool slightly then crumble (by hand) into a resealable air-tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
- Compatible with 15½” diameter trays. This Fruit…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…