Basil Salt-Preserving the Harvest

My son's basil plants are very happy this year and we have a long way to go before there are garden tomatoes here in Philly. I was gifted a gorgeous bouquet and had to get creative... If you have an abundance of basil this Basil Salt was a cinch to make, turned out great and made the house smell amazing! It's fantastic on popcorn and I look forward to sprinkling it on tomatoes in the near future. 

Quick product review: While I was thrilled with the Fresh Herb Keeper from Ball and feel it's worth every penny...

Unfortunately these Dry Herb Jars with locking shaker lids are disappointing. My immediate thought was, they're only plastic, they can't keep humidity out. When I turn it upside down while closed, some of the salt dust shakes out-proving that they're not completely sealed. And as you can see from the pic, you shake from the center of the top and the lid gets covered in salt/spice/cheese-whatever's in the jar. While it pains me to post a negative review, my honest opinion is, these lids might be good for storing grated cheese in the fridge, but that's about it.

Basil Salt-from Food Network
Ratio: half basil (pack the leaves into the measuring cup) and half kosher salt-I used 1/2 C of each

1. Add both and chop finely in food processor or food chopper.
2. Spread out on baking sheet and dry in 225 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until dry. Stir half way through. Note: I lined my baking sheet with tin foil, it did stick a bit but was easy enough to get a little spatula under it to stir it. I figured that was better than basil flavored chocolate chip cookies:@) 
3. Cool and run through food processor again to make a fine salt. I did dry my food chopper with a paper towel after the first processing.
4. Store in an air tight container.

Preserve a little bit of summer and have a happy day:@)