I have quite a lot of basil and would like to take it to work and share it with the people there. Should I wash, put in plastic bags & refrigerate it the night before? Store in a plastic bag in the office fridge all day? It doesn't seem to have much of a "shelf life" fresh, so not sure how best to do this.

I made my first-ever pesto last weekend and that was delicious!!

I would not wash or rinse before bagging. The salad and herb people at my FM put a little bunch of basil in a plastic bag but trap a LOT of air in the bag before tying it in a knot. They say it lasts longer this way, and I think they're right.

You could also put a paper towel in the bag to absorb any moisture - usually moisture is the enemy of green leafies.

Suasoria, Thanks so much. I saw some at the farmers market in a plastic bag, but didn't think to ask them if it was washed or not. I want to share it before it gets too far along. Barb

In the fridge it can sometimes turn black I've noticed. I've been keeping all my cut herbs in water, like you would flowers. Basil, dill, mint and parsley keep well that way at room temperature. Cilantro keeps well in the fridge, covered, with the stems in water.

For what it's worth, I keep parsley and cilantro in glass jars of water in the fridge. If I'm really on top of things, I'll trim a few millimeters off the stems first. (I find it tough to do with basil since the stems aren't long and regular like parsley and cilantro.)

Basil keeps best with its stems in water out on a counter at room temperature. Basil is a tropical plant by nature, which is why it tends to turn black in the fridge.

Herbs like Cilantro, Parsley, Dill, & Mint are used to & enjoy cooler temps - thus they can be kept nicely the same way in the fridge.

Basil sure is finicky. I guess I'll end up drying a bunch before it is over. I'm having trouble keeping up with it, even though I bought a little food processor so I could make the pesto. Thanks for all the info!

Barb, consider freezing your basil after putting it in the food processor with a little EVOO. Dried basil is a far cry from the flavor it has fresh. You can freeze the blended basil in ice cube trays, then transfer them to a freezer bag once solid. Do both and compare.

I had a restaurant and we used a lot of basil.
I would cut them in long stems and leave them in a jar with water, like flowers. The'll last a long time.

I cut basil to take to work from two plants I have - a Thai and a Serrata basil - as they grow faster than I can use them in that hydroponic setup! I simply cut it with a knife, pruning it, so to speak, when it gets too large, then put it in a large plastic bag in the fridge, misted with some water. Keeps fairly well, though they know to get it the first day!

Before I started growing it in the off-season, I used to harvest all of my basil at the end of the summer/beginning of fall, and grind it up with a bit of oil in the FP, then freeze it in popsicle molds I bought at a dollar store, marking the Thai basil with a "T". One loosely packed cup of basil reduced to one of those popsicles - between 3-4 tb. One of those was just right for a Thai curry, and for seasoning a tomato sauce I would just swish it through, to melt some off of it, then re-freeze it. Worked great, and is much better than dried basil, which doesn't hold a candle to fresh or frozen.

Dave

quote:

Sharing basil

austenjonesufg says:

I really need to eat,, god that looks good

I just took a batch of Thai basil to work Thurs. for those who wanted some (not that many knew what it was! lol). As I told them, get it then, as it wouldn't last the weekend, and I was right. the 1/3 or so that was left today was getting black spots, as if being frozen, though the fridge is an accurate commercial one, and never freezes things. It just goes bad fast, unfortunately.

That batch of basil I had was leftover from 1 plant, AFTER I got 1 1/2 c of leaves for a Thai curry I made. That plant is unbelievable!

Dave

Freezing the basil in popsicles molds is a great idea. Will have to try it next season. I usually dry my herbs and them run them through a coffee grinder.

I agree with earlier suggestion.

Blend it up with olive oil (similar as you would to make a pesto).

Freeze in ice cube trays and use as you need.

Don't bother drying it, basil isn't worth drying.

OR...
If you feel so inclined, make a big batch of pesto, and give little jars of it away instead, trimmed up w ribbon and a little label...Like a craft item :~D