Fresh Basil
Three days ago a friend gave me a bunch of fresh basil, straight from her garden. It was so gorgeous, so lush and fragrant. I would usually make fresh pesto with it — I love pesto— but instead I’ve been tossing the fresh leaves into salads and bowls of hot vegies. So yummy.
I’ve had it for several days now and it’s still looking fresh and delicious. That’s what’s left of it now, in the photo on the right, after three days in my kitchen — still fresh and yummy. So I thought I’d share the trick I discovered a few years ago for keeping fresh basil fresh.
Stick the stalks — as they come from the garden — in a glass of water and place a plastic bag over the top — just loosely. Don’t put it in the fridge — keep it on the kitchen bench. I don’t spray the leaves or anything. Any faint condensation on the plastic bag is from the leaves themselves.
It also works with the basil you buy in bunches from the supermarket. Pop them in a glass of water and cover loosely with a plastic bag. I’m not sure how long it will last for — I usually eat fresh basil pretty fast.
Are you a fan of fresh basil? How do you prefer to eat it?
I love fresh basil. Thanks for the tip. :-)
It makes such a difference Deanna. I used to try and use all my fresh basil in one hit, knowing it would soon droop or go dark in the fridge. Now I get to use as much or as little as I want and the basic I talk about in this post is still fresh and good u2014 nearly a week later. :)
Fresh basil is wonderful, but I don’t find it many places around here and I’m getting rid of half my flower beds this year because I have too many and they’re too big. I’m hoping that I can plant a small one just for herbs and things but…rabbits. I have a rabbit farm. Unintentionally. But holy cow! Do I have rabbits!
Yes, I’m battling weeds at the moment and considering reducing the number of places they can grow. Rabbits, eh? Not sure what you can do about that. Borrow a dog, maybe?