I didn't realize

[ksmith]

Order arrived today from Penzey's.

::sigh::

Four ounces of dried basil is a *lot* of dried basil.

Now I know.

Comments

[dremiel.livejournal.com]

If you make fresh pasta yo can add 2-3 Tablespoons of dried basil to the dough; particularly nice for a wider noodle or a filled pasta.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Could I use it in biscuits, too?

Thing is, I ordered two types of basil, 4 oz each. And 4 oz of bay leaves. Soup? Lotsa soup?

[difrancis.livejournal.com]

Love love love Penzeys!!!!

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I had heard so many good things that I wanted to give them a try. But I should have realized...

[lootsfoz.livejournal.com]

I love Penzey's. I got to shop at one of their stores on Thursday, and came home with two BBQ rubs, ground fennel, HOT crushed red pepper and Chinese Hot Mustard. I mixed up the mustard and drizzled it over egg rolls, and it made me weep while I was eating. Very hot, and yet SO good.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I bought French Four Spice, Lamb seasoning, Gumbo Filé. Cinnamon. They threw in a free small bottle of Chili Powder.

And as noted above, lots and lots of basil and bay leaves. Lots of cinnamon, too, but I know I will use it up.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

We once received a pound of dried parsley from the co-op.

It was. . .impressive.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Whoa.

The thing is, I want to grow my own basil as well. So many recipes call for the fresh stuff.

Maybe I can freeze some of this...

[barbarienne.livejournal.com]

This sounds like an excuse to make pesto!

Fresh basil freezes, though the leaves go wilty-soggy-limp as they thaw, so only take out what you're going to use, and don't expect to use it whole. Dried basil doesn't need to be frozen.

Dried basil will be fine much longer than you think it will, as long as you keep it in a dark copboard. I've kept dried herbs for years and they get a little weaker, but you simply increase the amount (from, say, half a teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon or a whole teaspoon) and it works out fine.


Also, 4 oz of bay leaves? Wow, that's a lot of bay leaves. You could hold an olympics and hand out laurel-crowns to the winners.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I searched on "dried basil pesto" online, and the results weren't encouraging. Someone who claimed to be a chef said that the dried basil doesn't allow for the same consistency of sauce--I would guess that it may not be as thick after processing.

Good to know that dried herbs last a while, because I have lots. I keep them in a cupboard, so yes, dark.

And yes, 4 oz of bay leaves is indeed a lot of bay leaves. I hope they keep as well.