One of the most flavorful and aromatic of the homegrown herbs, basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) is one of the simplest to dry and store.Basil grows easily outdoors or inside on a sunny windowsill, making it simple to pinch and use fresh, but when the crop is abundant, it's time to dry the leaves. Some people use a microwave, but there are a lot of reasons not to do this. Dried basil makes a wonderful addition to a variety of dishes and sauces, including pesto, herb-rubbed chicken, quiche, and tomato soup. Dried basil also has a more intense flavor than fresh basil (much like other herbs), but the flavor will disappear relatively quickly. Growing your own basil can be both fun and rewarding as it is a simple plant to grow both indoors and out; plus it often has a large yield of fragrant and tasty basil leaves for your use to make fresh pesto or in any number of different dishes. If you're looking for a good way to preserve basil immediately check out my Basil and Olive Oil icecubes Instructable. Making a Fragrant Fire Starter Air-drying basil is a really simple and easy way to preserve this yummy herb. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs instead. Basil is considered one of the world’s most versatile herbs, common in a variety of different cuisines from Italian to Thai. Oven-drying is one simple method for making your own dried basil using leaves fresh from your garden or the supermarket. The main requirement is time - it takes about 4 weeks for basil to dry properly. There are two options for drying basil: air drying and oven drying. Using a microwave to dry any herb, especially herbs like basil whose primary flavor is in its oil, is a bad idea. Dried herbs are suitable for cooked foods, but remember: drying concentrates the flavors, so you don’t need to use as much in recipes. During the summer months it’s the ideal location to dry the leaves quite quickly – often taking less than a week. But if conditions are humid or if you want to speed the process, air drying broad leaf herbs like basil may take too long and may lead to browning or mold. Remember this trick when using dried herbs in fresh herb recipes. Microwave NO, Toaster Oven YES! Basil is a delicious, aromatic herb from the mint family. It’s an easy, cost effective and efficient way to dry herbs. You may have noticed that store-bought basil tastes like nothing after a month or two.