What is the best way to save fresh basil?
If you pick some fresh basil for other herbs from your garden, it's always good to use the herbs right away. But, if you pick it in the morning, you may want to keep it fresh until you're ready to make lunch or dinner with it or perhaps use it in the next day or two. Well, first things first – don't put your basil in the fridge! Why shouldn't you refrigerate fresh basil? It can turn the leaves black, and it will lose flavor when it gets under 55˚F – and fridges are usually well below that at around or below 40˚F.
Instead, think of cut basil like a cut flower (afterall, it is indeed a flower, too!) and keep it at room temperature in a glass vase between 55-68˚F. This will help it retain it's aroma and fresh green color. Make sure that the stems are freshly trimmed at an angle and place them into the glass vase with water, and make sure the leaves are not submerged. This technique also works great for oregano, dill, parsley, cilantro, thyme and other herbs. Make sure to get the cut basil or other herbs into the water quickly after you cut them to avoid wilting. The cuttings may wilt for a little while right after pruning, but will quickly perk up after an hour or so when in a glass or vase of water at room temperature. If you cut them and can't put them in water immediately as you're out in the garden, when you do get inside, just cut off a little more of the stem when you do have the water ready so that the cut is fresh and can take up water easily.
This will keep your basil fresh until ready for use.
Surprise, Basil will grow roots in water!
If you leave Basil long enough in the water, you'll find that it will sprout roots and you can even replant the rooted basil to add extra basil plants around your garden and home. Though one thing to note, water propagated basil may start blooming sooner than basil started from seeds, even if you prune off the flowers as they come... so if you can, start basil from seeds, too, for the longest harvest.
Basil grows great indoors on a sunny window, but even better with some supplemental light, so it's a great herb to grow in the fall and winter months to have some fresh herbs and greenery during the cold time of the year. We love to start fresh basil seedlings in late summer or autumn under lights and then move some of them to our sunny winter windows to enjoy fresh basil in recipes over the winter months. Plus, having fresh basil growing all winter long indoors helps to satisfy one's gardening passion.
Pruning basil to use in the kitchen is a great way to keep your basil plant bushy and producing lots of basil for future use.
To prune Basil for use in the kitchen, use scissors or pruners and cut just above the leaf nodes (where new leaves emerge) and your basil will grow more bushy and full.
Do you use basil stems or just leaves?
You can actually use the stems (non-woody stems that is) and the leaves in pestos or when finely chopped for cooking. The stems have great flavor too, however they are best when processed in a food processor or when finely chopping. 
Simple Pesto Recipe:
- 2 Cups of Basil – or more, who measures Basil? We usually just use all that we have on hand, you can make larger or smaller batches depending on how much basil you have. You can use both the leaves and any non-woody stems.
- 1/2 Cup of Nuts - we like to use hulled pumpkin seeds, pine nuts are traditional, but people also use walnuts, almonds, pistacios or even peanuts for pestos, they all bring their own flavor profile to the table. Vary quantity as desired
- 1/4 cup of Olive Oil
- 3-6 Cloves of Garlic (to taste, we like ours garlicky!)
- 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese (optional, leave out to go vegan)
- 1/2 Tsp of Hot Pepper Flakes (optional, to give it a little spicy kick!)
Directions: In a food processor, blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Add more olive oil (or water) until you get the desired consistency. Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, pesto will naturally darken when refrigerated, but it is still delicious when tossed with pasta or served with crackers.
Storing basil for long term use:
While you can dry basil, we find that it loses a lot of it's flavor and freshness. We like to make pesto out of our basil and freeze it in a cupcake tin to make "pucks" or an ice cube tray to make "cubes" of pesto to use year-round. It's a great winter-time meal that's easy, just get out a cube or puck of pesto, boil up some pasta, toss, and you have the freshness from your garden in the heart of winter!
Basil is super easy to grow & is a great companion plant!
If you start our easy-to-grow Basil seeds, you'll have lots of basil for recipes like Caprese salad, pesto, tomato sauces and so much more. It is a very fast growing herb, and is a great beginner plant! Grow it in a pot on the patio, or in a sunny window, or in your garden next to your tomatoes and peppers – Basil makes a great companion plant!
Happy growing!
