How much dried basil = 1/2 cup of Fresh?

Question

I am making a dish that requires 1/2 cup of fresh basil but my grocery store didn't have it. So how much dried basil would I use?

Alize Kuhn · Accepted Answer

usually its about a 3 to 1 fresh to driedso 1/2 cup fresh would be about 1/6 cup dried however fresh and dried basil have a fairly different flavor/texture.

Alize Kuhn · Answer

I am a former chef from Canada, and have used both many times, the thing about dried basil is it is 5X stronger than fresh, any dried herb is, I would not use any more than 2 teaspoons, if you find at the end of your cooking it is a bit bland add more, but it cannot be removed once it is in like salt. If you make a gallon of sauce it is better to do it 2 stages, like they do for competition chili it is added in 2 stages first for the flavour and again for the reinforcement of the spice, you never do the final seasoning of any dish in the begining. And with fresh it should not be added until the end either it loses all its flavour and fresh colour cooked for hours in a sauce, when I worked at the hotels that had either southern or northern Italian restaurants, in the dishes we never dumped it in until the end, like parsley it has to be fresh and vibrant.

Alize Kuhn · Answer

Generally one teaspoon of dried translates to one tablespoon of fresh. But since there's more oil in fresh basil than dried, it tends to be a bit more pungent. Soooooo....if you are stuck using the dried stuff, you'll want to use 3 teaspoons or so per tablespoon, eight tablespoons in a half cup. So we're talking 24 teaspoons. But, as always, add a little bit at a time, mix thoroughly and taste before adding each additional bit of seasoning. Depending on the quality of the basil in the jar and its age, you may need more or less than the half cup.Good luck and bon appetit.

Dr. Reggie Bosco DVM

How much dried basil = 1/2 cup of Fresh?

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