Basil is a unique plant that has the widest application in medicine and cooking. Excellent taste and many useful components - these are its main characteristics. Do you know how to dry basil to preserve its basic properties? There are several interesting techniques that will certainly be very useful for housekeeping.
Useful properties of basil
Before we talk about how to dry basil, let's decide why do this at all? What properties does this useful plant have and what is most often used in everyday life? So, the composition of this miracle of nature includes such components as:
- tannins ;
- malic and ascorbic acids;
- vitamins of groups A, B, C, P;
- sugar;
- essential oils.
There are various varieties of basil, slightly differing from each other in a number of properties (ordinary, anise, small-leaved, bush, violet, etc.). In general, they can be described as plants, with the help of which they relieve pain and cramps, reduce cramps and gas formation in the stomach, improve mood, and increase tone. This herb is also successfully taken by coughing. The useful properties of basil can be listed for a long time, this spicy plant is truly unique and has been successfully used in folk medicine for many years.
What is basil used for?
This plant is no less widespread in world culinary. Most often, it can be found as an additive to salad or soup. It is worth mentioning right away that basil can be consumed both fresh and dried, and the latter option is no less popular. Seasoning is often used in the preparation of meat dishes, marinades and various preparations for the winter. In addition, basil is added to alcoholic beverages. Based on it, decoctions are made to help with colds, and essential oil is used in cosmetology and aromatherapy. Basil is most often used as a spice. It has a sweet, catchy taste and a very pleasant, delicate aroma.
The two easiest drying methods
So how to dry basil? The first method that we will talk about is the easiest. It will be enough for you to select the branches of this plant with a small number of leaves (about 6), tie a few pieces into a bunch and hang it on a rope. This technique will allow you to keep the fragrance in, so to speak, pristine condition. To obtain a qualitative result, compliance with a number of conditions will be required. So, drying should be carried out in a dry, cool and dark place. On average, such a procedure takes two to three weeks. Remember that only basil leaves are suitable for making spices. After the plant has dried, collect them and store in a tightly closed container.
If you do not want to wait for the specified period of time, then there is a faster way to dry basil. It takes no more than 72 hours (2-3 days). Carefully tear off the leaves from the branches, cut the largest specimens in half. Lay them on paper or newspaper in one layer and leave them in a dark place. Remember that during the drying period it will be necessary to provide shade and excellent ventilation of the air in the room. It is generally accepted that spices prepared in this way are less aromatic.
Dry the basil in the oven
How to dry basil? Are there any other effective options? You can use an ordinary oven for this purpose. Tear off the basil leaves, rinse them and blot to remove excess moisture. Lay them on a baking sheet and send to dry (at a temperature of about 40 degrees) for 2 hours. In the process, basil needs to be mixed thoroughly. Please note: the oven door should not be closed tightly; leave a small gap for air circulation. After the specified time, dry basil is left in the oven off for at least another 12 hours. After that, the leaves are crushed and stored in a tightly closed glass jar.
Do not want to dry? Let's freeze!
Basil for the winter can not only be dried, but also frozen. Many consider this method to be the most optimal, since all useful substances, including essential oils, are maximally preserved in the plant. Collect fresh leaves from the plant, do not subject them to any processing, it will be enough just to finely chop them. Fill the basil on a tray in one layer and place in the freezer for 4 hours. Then the finished product can be poured into a plastic bag, gently tie it and send for long-term storage until use.
How to grow basil in your garden?
The basil, the photo above, can be successfully grown in your own garden. For this, you can use seeds, but a large harvest in this case does not have to wait. Grass sown in this way, as a rule, is characterized by insignificant growth and a small number of leaves. The ideal solution is to plant seedlings in the garden. To do this, the seeds are pre-germinated in the ground at room temperature, processes are dived (as necessary), and at the end of spring, when the temperature reaches comfortable levels, they are planted in open ground. Most often this happens in the month of May. To collect a good harvest, you must not forget about regular care. To do this, the soil must be thoroughly loosened and watered.