On the balcony of my residence are some basil plants that I grew from seed. I recently harvested some of the leaves and dried them for future use. Here’s how I did it, with the help of this article.

I started by pruning the plant and saving the trimmings. This is perhaps the most important step.

In the kitchen I used scissors to separate the leaves from the branches.

Next I put the leaves in a colander and washed them clean before patting them dry with a paper towel.

Then I put some parchment paper on a metal sheet and then spread out the leaves in a uniform layer. I turned on my oven to its lowest temperature setting and then put the leaves in to dry. My oven’s lowest temperature is 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which works quite well. During this phase there will be a strong but very pleasant scent that will make your kitchen smell like an Italian restaurant.

Three hours later, all the leaves are dry to the touch and ready for removal from the oven.

Next I crush the leaves into a fine powder.

I use the parchment paper as a funnel to pour the crushed basil into its destined spice jar.

And my basil is ready for use, all year round.