You might get an answer on the Harvest forum if you don't get one here. However, I would say that personally I don't believe basil is worth drying. The flavour is completely lost. I either make pesto or freeze chopped basil in ice cubes.

I don't think I'd wish to use dried brown basil. I've dried basil in the microwave with a good degree of success. Does it taste like fresh basil? No, but it's better than what you can purchase at the store, and in the winter time I use it in small quantities. Microwave drying helps retain color.

I find that the flower buds retain their color better. I just air dry mine. Once dried, I just break them apart a bit to let as many of the seeds drop out as practical and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

What floral said. You can also chop it up and mix it with softened butter - form into small balls then freeze. Instant basil herb butter which will last until next season.

Chad Clem: I don't think I answered your question And what did I do wrong? I'm not quite sure. Did you make sure your basil was completely dry? That can cause browning, bruised leaves can also cause browning. I've air dried mint that turned brown (again, I find the best results (flavor retention and color) for me are microwaving if I want to save dried herbs) and in air drying it was very hit or miss - some green, some just turned brown, and some mildewed - I'm guessing I didn't get it dry, and had some bruised leaves before I set in it a dark room on racks. I've had better luck air drying oregano, thyme, rosemary, among others.

You should have better results with your dehydrator. So I'm not sure what really happened. Give it another try!

I don't use any chemicals in my herb garden, so when I dry leaves, I typically snip them when there is no dew on them, let them sit on a white paper towel in my kitchen, inspect for bugs, and just dry them without washing to keep them from bruising or absorbing moisture.

I tried floral's method of freezing, but 2 batches of thyme and oregano turned brown when I defrosted it... might have done something wrong. As the others have said, basil pesto, basil butter, and I also make basil pasta during the summer work well, but there are times I need dried basil in the winter, and it sounds like this was your aim. I wish you luck with your next batch!

Thanks everyone for your comments, tips and answers. I put my freshly harvested basil in a dehydrator at too high of a temp. I've learned through further research that I need a dehydrator that has an herb setting/low temp setting for herbs in the future.

Hi.. I would sadly not use them anymore a dehydrator is a bot tricky to use but if you make sure each leaf is pat dry and that the temp is set perfectly then you should not have any problems in the future