Growing and Drying Basil

Of all the herbs you can grow indoors, I've had the most luck with Basil.  Which is good, since I love using Basil both fresh and dried.

Basil comes in literally dozens of varieties and is easy to grow, even for the novice gardener.  Some varieties do well inside, though others really do prefer the outdoors.

If growing in a garden bed, choose a sunny spot with good drainage and a quality soil.  You can sow basil seeds directly outdoors, though I've found that pre-starting them in a cell pack ensures growth.  Basil is one of the few plants that doesn't tend to suffer from transplant shock, so this method works well.  Planted near tomatoes, it helps create some of the most fantastic tomatoes you've ever had.

You can also grow basil outside in containers, and is my preferred method for any herbs grown out of doors.  (This is mostly due to the fact that some herbs can very quickly become invasive, and a good container alleviates that problem.)  Of course, this also allows you to bring them indoors during the winter if you have a good spot for them.

Basil grown indoors just needs a sunny window, a nice pot, good soil, and some regular watering.  If you have a window that is only partly sunny, you can still get basil to grow, just know that it may grow a bit slower.

No matter where you put it, you'll find that Basil is one of the quickest herbs to appear after sowing and grows rather quickly.  You can begin to use it fresh as soon as the leaves are large enough, just be careful to always leave some leaves so as not to send the plant into shock.  Simply pinch off what you need, rinse and chop.

I find that the two varieties I grow, Sweet Basil and Italian Basil, often grow far faster than I can use them.  You can always dry some to give away or for those times when you don't have any fresh.  Herbs can be dried by hanging or with a food dehydrator.

Personally, I prefer the dehydrator.  You can pinch off the leaves you want to dry or just snip off entire stems.  (Having done both, I recommend drying by the stem, as individual leaves can blow around as they dry.)  Just rinse the leaves in cool water, put on the rack, and turn on the unit.  My dehydrator has an herbs setting, but if yours does not you'll want to set it to about 100 degrees.  Drying times will depend on a number of factors, so just check on it every couple of hours.  The leaves should be dry and brittle when done. 

Once dry, crumble them up and put them in an air tight container out of direct sunlight.  I use mine up so fast that I'm not sure what the shelf life on it is, but I would imagine at least a year.

Basil is good in soups, salads, pastas, on pizza and sandwiches, and even in deserts.  You can always make pesto as well, just pick a variety that is good for it.