I planted my basil late this year, so haven't been able to harvest a lot of it yet. Thus, I've been buying the lovely bunches available at my local farmers market.

I treat them like cut flowers - clipping 1/4" or so from the stem bottoms & keeping them in water on my kitchen counter (keeping them in the fridge will blacken them). I reclip & change the water every other day & they last a long long time this way.

Anyway, I reclipped the stems this morning over the sink, & the clippings & a few small leaves were in the drain strainer when I ran the hot water to start cleaning some pots that were soaking in the other half of the sink. The absolutely ambrosial scent of basil filled the air as I scrubbed away. I may just start leaving the clippings in that extra sink drain for the day from now on - lol!!