My solar dryer turned my basil into a spice rack casualty

Built a little solar dehydrator out of an old window frame and set it up on my deck for 3 days... came back to find the basil had basically turned into dust. I guess 95 degrees in Tucson will do that, but at least now my pasta sauce has a smoky, weird crunch to it. Anyone else accidentally overcook their harvest with one of these things?

1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

1 Comment

elliotm571mo ago

95 degrees for three days straight? That's not dehydrating, that's cremating. Did the window frame act like a magnifying glass too, or was it just the relentless Arizona sun doing its thing? Basil turning to dust sounds like you could've used it as a cheap substitute for powdered garlic in a pinch. At least the smoky crunch gives it a story, even if your pasta sauce is now a textural adventure. Have you thought about checking it every few hours next time, or just moving to a shadier spot? That herb deserves a fighting chance.

6