All the Steps to Drying Basil That You CANNOT Miss!

[@jknight5311]

The ending is the best part!!! 😊 You guys are so cute! Always spreading joy and knowledge. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

[@JoyfulHomestead77]

😊 thank you

[@laurieboatright7956]

Love this. Thanks for sharing so much knowledge. So refreshing to see the zest for life and healthy living expressed with fun and compassion.❤️

[@JoyfulHomestead77]

Thank you so much, Laurie!!! We really appreciate your encouragement!

[@noramax2925]

Thanks for the colander tip. Cute creative ending. 🙂

[@JoyfulHomestead77]

Thanks! We like to show our personalities a little bit....otherwise, where is the joy, right?!

[@jknight5311]

Great tip about harvesting in the morning. I had no idea that the flavor is better if you harvest in the morning! Thanks for this video. So many great tips in here. The colander that you used while crushing the dried basil is Another super helpful tip that will make things easier; as I have gotten frustrated in the past with all the stems and debris that is too fibrous.

[@JoyfulHomestead77]

Yes, the colander we were using is just a cheap thing you can get just about anywhere. Something with small holes in it is perfect (but not too small) for this job. AND make sure to protect your hands when doing that crushing, because dried herbs can give you nasty splinters!

[@jknight5311]

And I loved watching you dry in the sun oven! I have a question. Does the basil that is dried in the sun oven taste any different than the basil that is air dried or dried in the oven?

[@JoyfulHomestead77]

No, not really. There is always the risk with any mechanical method of over-heating (too high a temp) or over-cooking (too long in the ovens), and that will change the taste, making basil bitter and not as fragrant. There is virtually no risk of that while air drying, but you do run the risk of the herb getting molding (air drying is measured in weeks, not hours!)

[@brenda4800]

You guys are too cute! Happy Anniversary! Quick question... I've heard some people say that if your basil has started to flower then the leaves aren't good to harvest. But I noticed some of your basil had flowers and you're still using it for drying. So is that incorrect information that you can't use the leaves or maybe the taste changes after it's gone to flower? Thx!

[@JoyfulHomestead77]

Thanks, Brenda, your comments and engagement are always AWESOME! Teacher's pet! So....yes, it is true that basil starts to degrade in the oil quality after prolific flowering starts taking place. That is because the plant is expending so much of its energy in putting the flowers (and the subsequent seeds) out that it just can't do it all. You caught us-we were probably a week later than our "sweet spot" time would have been, and the flowers started coming more heavily than ideal. Good news is that all was not lost and these leaves were still pretty good stuff. I think 7-10 days more and the leaves would have been in the browning/wilting fall stage and that would have been a lot more disappointing. By the way, the flowers are sort of yummy in their own way. A little bit of basil, but then with some sort of almost evergreen/rosemary sort of thing going on. Consider trying them if you ever have a few break out early!

[@jknight5311]

@@JoyfulHomestead77 Interesting, I had no idea that the basil flowers are also tasty! I wonder if they would taste good as tea. Like basil flower tea.