Dried Basil

part of: Basil

Dried basil is made from the leaves of the sweet basil plant, dehydrated to create a shelf-stable seasoning. While it loses some of the bright, peppery punch of fresh basil, the drying process concentrates a warm, slightly minty character that works well in slow-cooked dishes where fresh basil would wilt away.

It’s a staple in pasta sauces, pizza, soups, and stews, and blends well with oregano, thyme, and garlic. Dried basil suits long cooking times better than fresh, making it ideal for casseroles and braises where it can infuse steadily.

A little goes a long way — dried basil is more potent by weight than fresh, so recipes typically call for roughly a third of the fresh quantity when substituting.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Fresh basil leaves are harvested at peak flavour, typically just before the plant flowers. The leaves are washed and then dried using air-drying, oven-drying, or commercial dehydrators at low temperatures to preserve the volatile oils that carry the herb’s flavour. Once fully dried, the leaves are crumbled or left whole and packaged for storage.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 233kcal
Protein 23g
Carbs 10.1g
Fat 4.1g
Fibre 37.7g Sugar 1.7g
Mass Distribution

1 tsp, leaves is about 0.7 g.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈2.98kg
Freshwater ≈722.42L
Land ≈2.42

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from

In the kitchen

Used as

mediterranean herb seasoning

Classic dishes
  • Marinara sauce
  • Pizza margherita
  • Pasta pomodoro
  • Caprese salad

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

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