Drying your own spices

I bought one of those little plants at the grocery store of fresh basil. It all started to wilt so I took all the leaves off to dry them and use them. I want to buy some others and do the same. Does anyone else do this ? if so what are your favorite spices to mix together after they are dried ?

I used to grow basil in the garden then make pesto with some, and dry what was left over to use in cooking. It tasted much fresher/stronger than the stuff you buy!

Pedantic note: basil is a herb, not a spice.

Fresh red thai chilies are good for drying. I just leave them in the fridge in the packet. Once dried, they keep for ages.

Ok, so this is not related to dried herbs, but... I know some people who chop up their spare herbs from their Garden and put then into Ice trays, cover them with water and then freeze them. Than you can just pop a cube and add it to your cooking and you have fresh herbs even in winter.

Anyone tried this? I've always been tempted, but these days you can buy fresh herbs all year round.

You must know some strange people then. Or what exactly are these "herbs" that they are putting in icecubes? ;-)

Ahh you folks were talking about the Cooking 'erbs. But your right , I do know some strange people... sleeplessInMunich

I know the ice cube trick, but I've never tried it. The leafy tops of celery dry out nicely and make a nice addition to soups.

Never tried freezing them in water, just in small Tupper-like containers.

They freeze well, but tend to look a bit skanky when you defrost them. Best to use them in a dish where they aren't part of the presentation, just blended in for taste.

No but I've done it with cream. But it's not a bad idea though as you say, they're so available all the time fresh and frozen it seems a bit of a stress.