How To Store Basil So That It Stays Fresh

As the name suggests, you store the basil leaves as you would fresh-cut flowers for this method. Basil is not meant to survive cold refrigerator temperatures.

It will be a waste if you put it in the fridge. According to many food critics, this method is one of the best ways for storing basil leaves. 

How To:

• DO NOT wash the basil, as it will affect the quality. 
• Snip an inch of the stems at an angle with scissors, like you would a flower bouquet.
• Put the snipped basil in a jar or a glass with a few inches of water.
• Avoid letting the leaves touch the water, or they will wilt.
• Cover the leaves and the entire jar of basil loosely with a plastic bag.
• Leave the covered jar of basil on your kitchen counter, away from direct sunlight.
• To make them fresh longer, change the water every few days and give the stems a fresh little trim.
• Your basil will remain fresh for 10-12 days.

If you are confident you will use your fresh basil within a day or two, you can store the basil in the refrigerator like other salad greens.

You can use this method to store cut basil as well. The fridge has a consistent temperature and humidity to avoid shocking the basil from harsh environmental elements. 

How To:

• Wash the basil.
• Dry the basil with a salad spinner or paper towel.
• Pluck off the leaves from the stem.
• Once dry, wrap the leaves with a dry paper towel. 
• Place wrapped basil in a zip lock bag or a container. 
• Store the zip lock bag or container in the fridge. 
• The basil leaves will stay fresh for another day or two.

A herb keeper maintains a conducive environment for herbs so they stay fresh longer. You might need to purchase a herb keeper for this method if you do not have one. 

It is worth the investment since you can use it for any herb besides basil. You can buy any herb keeper in the market, as they all work the same.

Here is how to use one if you have never used it before

How To: 

• Fill the container with water till the waterline mark.
• Insert your basil bunches into the container after trimming the ends of the stems and removing damaged leaves.
• Cover the herb keeper with the lid and keep it in your refrigerator.
• Your basil should be fresh for a couple of days.
• And remember to wash and dry the herb keeper after use.

You can also freeze basil leaves. This method is useful when you have plenty of fresh basil during summer from your herb garden that you want to use in winter.

Frozen basil is nowhere near comparable to fresh basil, but they are reliable in soups and stews. 

How To:

There are a few ways you can freeze them.

Wash and Freeze

• Wash and dry the basil leaves.
• Discard the stems. 
• Flash-freeze them after spreading them on a baking sheet. 
• Transfer the frozen basil to separate bags.

Blanch and Freeze

• Blanch washed basil leaves for 15 seconds and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. 
• The rest of the steps are the same as method one. 

Chop and Freeze

• Coarsely chop washed basil leaves in a food processor. 
• Drizzle olive oil and pulse. The oil prevents basil blackening. 
• Scoop the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. 
• Transfer the basil cubes to ziplock bags. 
• One cube is usually the equivalent of about two tablespoons of fresh basil. 

If you are making pesto dishes at least twice a week, imagine all the time you could save if you used pesto ice cubes instead of making it from scratch every time.  Just reheat them in the microwave and pour them on a plate of the spaghetti.

And the best part? Savings from not having to buy pesto. Once you make these pesto cubes, you can reheat them for a quick and satisfying meal. To make pesto ice, cubes, you need to make a delicious pesto sauce first. 

How To:

• Place 2 cups of basil, three garlic cloves, ¾ cup pine nuts, and ¾ cup olive oil in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
• Process until fairly smooth, wiping down sides once or twice if needed.
• Add ¾ cup parmesan cheese, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper, and give it a quick whirl to mix.
• You can use some immediately and freeze the rest in ice cube trays.
• Once frozen, pop them out and place them into freezer zip-lock bags. Label the bag with the date.
• If you have more basil,  increase the quantity of ingredients but maintain the ratio.
• You can use the ice cubes for six months to a year.

This method is ideal for when you are in a rush or just feeling lazy. You buy the basil that comes in the clamshell from the store and toss them in the crisper drawer once you are home. 

A crisper drawer works well for most herbs like dill and cilantro not for basil. If you are storing them in the crisper drawer, just remember to use them within a day or two because it is better to toss them in the trash after this time limit. 

This method is the most interesting out of all the basil storage methods. It was borne out of experiments done by home cooks, with surprisingly excellent results. 

How To:

• Trim the stem ends of your basil. DO NOT wash them.
• Prepare a quart container, the ubiquitous takeout-type container.
• Fill the container with a few inches of water.
• Place the lid slightly ajar.
• Keep the container at room temperature, away from sunlight.
• Change the water every couple of days.
• Basil will stay fresh for a week.

Oven Drying basil is ideal for people who grow basil plants in the garden and find themselves with an overload of harvest.

If you are left with a surplus even after giving it away and allocating a batch for your personal use, you can dry your basil. Dried basil lasts up to a year or two and can substitute fresh basil at a ratio of 1:1. 

You can dry your basil with other methods if you do not own an oven. 

How To:

• Pluck off the basil leaves and wash to remove dirt. Dry them overnight on a towel. The leaves have to be completely dry.
• Preheat your oven to 170 degrees or the lowest temperature once the leaves are dry.
• Spread the basil leaves on a baking sheet without overlapping. You might need more baking sheets if you have more basil.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The dried basil leaves should be crackly and brittle after drying. 
• Remove basil from the oven and crumble with your fingers in a bowl, or use a mortar and pestle. 
• The basil should easily crumble without much effort. 
• Store the dried herb in an airtight jar after it cools.

Instead of freezing the leaves directly, you can make a paste out of them and freeze them if you prefer freezing to drying your basil.

The frozen paste saves you time as you can use it directly in recipes. Frozen leaves need to be thawed when making sauces and salads.

How To:

• Separate the leaves from the stem. Process the leaves in a food processor until the basil is minced.
• You might need to scrape down the sides while processing the leaves. 
• Drizzle in olive oil while the machine is running. Stop the machine when you have a paste.
• Scoop the paste into a zip-top freezer bag and flatten it into a 1/3-inch thick sheet.
• Label the bag and lay it flat in the freezer until solid.
• To use, break off a chunk of the paste.

Keeping basil fresh using all the methods mentioned above will only work if you start with fresh basil. For that, you need to know how to choose or harvest fresh basil.

You should look out for these features of fresh basil mentioned below:

Fragrance: Fresh basil has a potent earthy, slightly sweet, and peppery aroma. Like most herbs, the smell is refreshing.

Color: Look for vibrant green glossy leaves and avoid ones with bruises. Bruised Basil leaves are purple, brown, or black. Also, ensure they are bruised leaves and not basil varieties with purple or variegated leaves.

Texture: Fresh basil is delicate with a velvety texture. They can be slightly waxy when you touch it.

Size and Shape: Basil leaves are oval with pointed tips that cup lightly. They are 2-4 inches, depending on the variety.

Flavor: Fresh basil has a balanced sweet and savory flavor with hints of mint, anise, and pepper. It gives off strong notes of black pepper at first but ultimately adds sweetness to any dish.

Freshness: Fresh basil should look healthy without browning or wilting. The leaves should feel firm and upright, not droopy.

Wash Only When You are Using 

Wash your basil only when you are ready to use it. Basil leaves are delicate and high in moisture. After you wash them and do not dry them thoroughly, they retain moisture which speeds up deterioration.

Additionally, all that extra handling further degrades its quality and robs it of its vibrant color and strong flavor. 

Check Basil and Remove Wilted Leaves

Once you have stored your basil, check on it daily, especially if you have used the bouquet method. If you spot brown or wilted leaves, remove them to stop them from spreading to healthier sprigs. 

You can also trim an inch of the stems at an angle to ensure the leaves get the water they need.

Choose Hydroponically Grown Basil

Buy basil that was grown hydroponically: If you can buy or grow hydroponic basil. They last longer than traditionally grown basil because they contain fewer essential oils. 

Essential oils degrade over time, affecting the freshness of basil. Additionally, hydroponic basil travels less distance to reach supermarkets and stores, so they are fresher at the time of buying. 

Change Storage Water Frequently

If you are storing your basil in an herb keeper, quart container, or as bouquet, you need to change the water regularly.

You should change the water every two to three days or when the water becomes cloudy. This practice prevents bacteria and other microorganisms that can kill your basil leaves from thriving.