Preserve Your Basil Harvest

Trim back the plants early in the day before the sun heats them up. Cooler temperature retains the oils for better flavor. Keep at least one third of the plant for continued growth.

There are several ways to preserve Basil:

• Gently tear or trim the leaves from the stems and lay them on newspaper or paper towels. When dry enough to be crumbled, store the dried Basil in baggies or jars in a cool, dark place.
• Put the stems of freshly trimmed Basil in a container of cool water and change the water every day.
• Chop the Basil and put it in ice cube trays. Fill with water and place in freezer. After it has frozen, transfer the Basil cubes to freezer bags and store in the freezer. Keeps for up to seven or eight months.

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