How much dry Basil would I need to substitute for 1 cup of fresh basil?

[blossom22]

How much dry Basil would I need to substitute for 1 cup of fresh basil?

[Suzanne]

Welcome, blossom22!

The usual substitution is 1 teaspoon dried (chopped or crumbled) dried herb in place of 1 tablespoon fresh. So you would want to use 1/3 cup of dried basil.

HOWEVER: there are uses in which you never want to substitute a dried herb for the fresh one. Pesto, for example -- oh, sure, "they" say you can use dried basil and goose the color with parsley, but really that's not worth making (or eating ). If your recipe relies on the fresh taste and color of the basil, it's better to make something else instead of use dried.

Remember also that dried herbs are usually added to a recipe at a different point from fresh. Because fresh herbs are mostly pretty delicate, they tend to be added near the end of cooking, if not actually after the food has finished cooking. Dried herbs need more time to reconstitute, and so are usually added much earlier in the process.

[Pete]

I usually agree with the 1/3rd rule when substituting dried for fresh, but that is when I am using smaller amounts such as teaspoon and tablespoon. When dealing with larger amounts you may even want to go with less. The issue here is packing. Example when you need 1 Tablespoon of fresh basil you chop it rather fine, to fit in the spoon. It may be just a bit bigger than the dried you are substituting with. In the cup scenario, you probably aren't chopping your basil as fine, if at all, so you then have more air space than if it is a cup of finely chopped basil. So unless the recipe calls for 1 cup of finely chopped fresh basil, I would not add more than 1/4 cup of dried. And I agree with Suzanne, look at what your application is. Some things just don't translate well when substituting dried for fresh.

[Pinot]

The only useful purpose I can think of for dried basil would be mulch for fresh basil plants.

[redace1960]

got to agree with pinot. there simply is no substitute for fresh basil. dried is a completely different animal.

[Pete]

Pinot and redace, I have to, respectfully, disagree. There is a place for dried basil. Definately not in uncooked or short cooked dishes. These require fresh, but in long cooked soups, stews or sauces (winter type foods) I often prefer to use dried. You can add it early in the cooking process and it creates a whole different taste. Personally I make a traditional Ragu Bolognese that cooks for hours. I have used both, dried early in the process and fresh, added at the end, and I prefer the dried. The fresh adds too much of a bright, fresh note that seems out of place in such a long cooked dish.

[mudbug]

So in conclusion blossom22, it depends on what you're using this basil for. If you're needing fresh basil for pesto, you may not want to use dried basil because it just wouldn't be the same and not worth the effort.

What are you needing the 1 cup of basil for?