Drying basil leaves in the microwave

Can basil leaves be dried in the microwave?

Believe it or not, basil leaves can be dried in the microwave. It’s both quicker and more effective than using a conventional gas or electric oven.

Why dry basil leaves?

In my experience, basil leaves can only be kept for about 7 days after harvesting (in a refrigerator) before they turn bad. Drying the leaves and storing them in an air tight container will mean you can keep the leaves for a much longer time.

	Step 1: Harvest the leaves Harvest the leaves around midday. I had quite a lot of leaves here to dry! After they shrivel up and dry, you’ll be glad of having so many!
	Step 2: Prepare for the microwave Place a paper towel on top of the plate and place a single layer of basil leaves on top. Try and use leaves which are around the same size so they dry at the same speed. Place another paper towel on top of the layer of leaves. Put the plate into the microwave and put on high for a minute. Then continue with 10 second intervals until the leaves crumble easily between your fingers. Be prepared for a small flame if you leave them in the microwave for too long!
	Step 3: Remove the leaves and crumble Once the leaves have dried, remove them and crumble them into a powder using your fingers.
	Step 4: Store in an air tight container That’s it, you’re done! Store the leaves in an air tight container and use whenever you like. They’ll store for a very long time! This tiny container of dried basil is the full contents of the container shown in step 1!