Make Your Own Basil Salt

Are you growing basil and don’t know how to use it all up because your freezer is already jammed with pesto? Try making basil salt, all you need is: basil and kosher salt (I use pink Himalayan coarse salt), a food processer, and an oven. It tastes great on everything especially salads and raw veggies!

1½ cups packed basil leaves

1 cup coarse salt

Makes about one cup.

  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Wash and dry basil leaves and discard or compost stems.
  2. Add basil to food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to roughly chop leaves.
  3. Add salt and let it go for about 30 seconds. Your salt should become green with the consistency of sand; mixture will be wet.
  4. Spread mixture out evenly on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You may need more than one sheet pan.
  5. Put in oven for 20 to 30 minutes to dry out the moisture.
  6. Once salt has dried, remove from oven to cool for a few minutes.
  7. Once it’s cooled, you can break it up by adding it back to the blender or use your hands. Store in an airtight jar.

–Leigh Gradiz, museum site manager

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