Do not keep basil in the fridge. It turns black and goes limp in a day or two. For the next few days, treat it like a bunch of cut flowers on the counter. To keep it for months, freeze it in oil instead.
5 min
Beginner
Published
Updated
How long do you need it to keep?
Materials
Glass jar or vase
Kitchen scissors or shears
Plastic bag (for loose covering)
Ice cube tray (for freezing)
Freezer bag or airtight container
Olive oil (for freezing)
Steps
1How long do you need it to keep?
Basil on the counter stays fresh and whole. Frozen basil keeps far longer, but it comes out as a cooking ingredient rather than fresh leaves.
A few days, on the counter
Keeps about five days. The leaves stay whole, so they still work in a salad or as a garnish.
1a
Trim the stems
Trim the stems before you stand them in water. Cut about half an inch off the end of each stem. Cut at an angle. Use kitchen scissors or shears. Do this just as you would with cut flowers.
Do not wash it yet: Wash basil only just before you use it. Water left on the leaves makes black spots appear faster. It also makes the leaves rot faster in storage.
Strip the lower leaves: Pull off any leaves that would sit below the water line. Do this before you stand the stems in the jar. Leaves under the water rot within a day or two. They also turn the water cloudy. That makes the whole bunch die sooner.
1b
Store basil like cut flowers
Treat basil like a bunch of cut flowers. Stand the stems in a glass jar or vase. Add 1 to 2 inches of water. The water should cover only the cut ends of the stems. It must not touch the leaves. Keep the jar at room temperature. Never put it in the fridge.
1c
Cover loosely with a plastic bag
Lay a plastic bag loosely over the basil in the jar. Do not seal the bag. A loose bag keeps the air around the leaves damp. It also lets extra moisture escape.
Months, in the freezer
Keeps about three months. The leaves come out blended in oil, which suits cooking rather than garnish.
1a
Prep the leaves for freezing
Wash the leaves first. Pat them completely dry. Then .
How to Blend Basil with Olive Oil for Freezing
Use about 1 tablespoon of oil per packed cup of leaves Roughly 2 cups of packed basil to 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil fills a standard ice cube tray.
Pulse in short bursts, scraping down the sides Short pulses keep the food processor from heating and bruising the leaves.
Stop at a coarse, spoonable paste, not a smooth puree It should hold its shape on a spoon and still show flecks of leaf. Add oil a teaspoon at a time if it looks dry or crumbly.
No processor? Chop finely by hand and stir the oil in The texture is chunkier but freezes and cooks the same way.
1b
Freeze in cubes
Pour the basil and oil mix into an ice cube tray. Freeze it. Once the cubes are hard, tip them into a freezer bag or airtight container. Write the date and what it is on the label. Keep the cubes frozen, never in the fridge or a cupboard. Basil sitting in oil above freezing can grow the bacteria that cause botulism, and staying frozen is what stops it. If the cubes ever thaw, throw them away rather than refreezing them. The cubes keep for about three months. You can drop them straight from the freezer into a hot pan.
Tips
Keep the jar out of direct sunlight. Change the water every few days. This keeps the basil fresh.
On the counter in a jar, basil usually stays fresh for about five days. A very fresh bunch can sometimes last a week or more. Throw it away if it turns slimy or moldy. Throw it away if it starts to smell bad.
Fresh leaves turn black and go limp in the cold, somewhere below about 10 to 12°C, which is 50 to 54°F. That is why the jar stays on the counter and never goes in the fridge.
Frozen basil darkens and loses some of its fresh scent. Use it in cooked dishes such as sauces, soups and dressings, rather than as a garnish where you would notice.
Sources
Each step in this guide is drawn from facts stated by several of these pages independently. Sources that did not corroborate anything used here are not listed.
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