Convert fresh basil leaves to a dry measurement
I have a recipe that calls for 12 fresh basil leaves. How do I convert that to a dry measurement?
Best Answer
This is a more tricky conversion than most. As another answer already said, the "standard" conversion for most herbs is 3 parts fresh = 1 part dried. (There is more general advice on that question in the link rumtscho gave in comments here.)
Basil is a particular problem because its flavor is generally very different in dried vs. fresh forms. Dried basil can also vary greatly in its potency and flavor notes: I often find it has enhanced "sweetness" compared to fresh basil, but lacks some of the other distinctive flavors of the fresh form. The only time I'd generally consider substituting dried basil in a recipe for fresh is if the basil is cooking in the dish for a long time (for example, simmering an hour or more).
In any case, sometimes you just can't get the fresh stuff. But converting a number of leaves into a measurement of dry basil gets even trickier: what size is a "standard" basil leaf? Is your particular dried basil fresh-bought and potent, or has it been sitting around for a while?
I poked around in internet searches, and people seem to recommend anywhere from 4 to 8 fresh basil leaves = 1 teaspoon of dried basil. So, if I had to do this, I'd go somewhere in the middle and probably try 2 teaspoons of dried basil for 12 leaves. If you are using this in a dish that will cook for a while you'll have time to adjust, so I'd start a little on the lower side and add more basil to taste if necessary.
On the other hand, if you're using this in a dish where you're depending on a specific "fresh herb" flavor of fresh basil, there's just no substituting the dry form. In that case, I might recommend trying another fresh herb you do have (perhaps something more neutral like parsley) mixed with a little dried basil to give a bit of the right flavors. It still won't be the same as fresh basil, but at least you'll get a bit of the fresh herbiness which is often part of the experience too.
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Quick Answer about "Convert fresh basil leaves to a dry measurement"
Use this easy formula as a fresh-to-dried herb converter: 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs. In other words, use three times as much fresh herbs when the recipe calls for dried and 1/3 of the amount of dried herbs when the recipe calls for fresh.How do you convert fresh basil to dried?
Dried herbs can be more potent than fresh herbs (unless they've been sitting in your spice drawer for 5 years). This means you need fewer dried herbs than fresh when substituting one for the other. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs.What is the equivalent of 1/4 cup fresh basil to dried?
What is The Dried Equivalent of \xbc Cup Fresh Basil? There are just over 3 tablespoons in one-fourth cup. Therefore, using our 3:1 ratio, we know that 1 tablespoon of dried basil is the equivalent of \xbc cup fresh basil.What is the dried equivalent of 1/2 cup fresh basil?
The ratio is one teaspoon of dried to one tablespoon of fresh. So the answer would be eight teaspoons of dried basil equal 1/2 cup of fresh basil.How much dried basil equals a basil leaf?
In particular, 1 part dried herbs equals 3 parts of fresh herbs. Another way to convert fresh basil to dried basil is by doubling the number of fresh herbs. For example, if your recipe asks for 1 teaspoon of dried basil, you can swap it with 2 teaspoons of fresh ones.Drying and Storing Basil
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Answer 2
I've always been told that you need more fresh to dry when it comes to recipes. I would say that the conversion is 3:1.
Also, this may confirm that.
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