Don’t use distilled water, as it lacks beneficial minerals that may help preserve the basil longer.
Also pluck off any leaves that are low on the stems and will be submerged in the water.
Don’t put the vase in the refrigerator or anywhere else that gets below 50 °F (10 °C). This is a good idea for many other herbs, but basil leaves keep better in water on the counter than in the fridge.
Don’t cinch up the bag around the vase. It’s important to allow for air flow. Thin plastic bags, like those found in the produce section of the grocery store, are ideal for this task.
Remember to rinse the leaves under clean, cool water before using them in recipes. The leaves will start to wilt after around 5-8 days, but they still may be usable in a cooked item like marinara sauce.
This method is basically the same as one used for storing lettuce. However, don’t expect basil to last nearly as long in the fridge as lettuce or most other greens.
Alternatively, you can use a salad spinner to dry the leaves.
Don’t roll the paper towel strip tightly or press down on it as you go. You’ll bruise the leaves. Wrapping the leaves in paper towels helps to regulate the moisture content and keep the basil from getting either too dry or too moist.
Long-term refrigerator storage isn’t an option for basil, so stick it in a spot where you can access it easily.
Use this only as a short-term prep and storage option—for instance, if you bought fresh basil at the store in the morning to put on top of your homemade pizza for dinner.
This method of blanching and then freezing the basil is a good option when you have far more fresh basil than you can use within a few days—for example, if an early fall frost is about to hit and you still have plenty of basil in your herb garden.
Don’t use basil leaves that are drooping or blackened.
Blanching helps “lock in” the vibrant color of the basil leaves, while the ice bath stops the cooking process before it wilts the leaves. If you wish, you can skip both blanching the leaves and using an ice bath, but the basil won’t keep as well in the freezer. In this case, go straight from rinsing the fresh leaves to drying them with paper towels.
Or, invest in a salad spinner that you can use to dry basil leaves—among many other things!
If you go above about 4-5 layers of basil leaves, you may not be able to slide the stack into a freezer bag. In this case, start a second stack for another freezer bag.
When you’re ready to use the basil, simply open the bag, pull out the number of leaves you need, squeeze out the air, and close the bag again. Especially if blanched, frozen basil leaves should be vibrant and flavorful enough to use in cooked recipes or even fresh pesto. The thawed leaves will likely be too wilted to use as a fresh ingredient or garnish, however. After about 3-6 months, the leaves will start to develop brown or black spots. Once there are as many dark spots as green areas, discard the leaves.
Alternatively, grow your own basil from seeds either outdoors (when the climate permits) or indoors.
It’s very convenient to have the basil plant on your kitchen windowsill, but it’s more important to find a sunny spot.
The goal is to keep the potting medium evenly moist. You’ll likely figure out the proper watering frequency within a week.
For instance, grab a few of the prettiest leaves to make your guests a range of delicious basil cocktails![21] X Research source Remove and discard leaves that have wilted or developed brown or black spots.
The basil will likely last longer if you transfer it to a larger pot, but it may also grow larger than you’d prefer, especially if you have space limitations.
