Welcome to this post that will talk about some of the best ways you can keep your basil from turning black. As with all plants and herbs, as soon as you pick it you start a deadline that counts down to when it’s no longer good. Basil is unfortunately a herb that can go really quick for it to go bad. But you can also prolong this process and be able to enjoy your harvest a lot more. Some of these steps are pretty simple, like keeping them in a dry container with paper and no exposure to moisture.
Is all of your basil flowering at home and you are wondering what to do with them? Then we have written the perfect article for you. It gives some tips of things you can do, find it here, My Basil Is Flowering What Should I Do.
How To Keep Fresh Basil From Turning Black
Just like we said in the beginning of this article, one of the best and proven ways of keeping freshly harvested herbs longer is good storage. This includes keeping it in a container that does not expose it to an unnecessary amount of moisture. Mouisture is the real enemy and what causes herbs and vegetables to root and go bad. We find that keeping a lid on the container and then some paper in there as well minimizes this by a lot.
Keeping the herbs cold is also important. Harmful bacterias will grow a lot faster in warmer temperatures so minimizing this is also key for prolonged storage of herbs. Keeping the basil leaves in a container like we said and then in a fridge will surely make them good even after 2 weeks or so. They might be a bit fatigued and dried up but should be perfectly usable. But of course, most herbs are always their best selves when they are still very fresh.
Another factor that is important in keeping herbs and especially basil is not cutting them and then storing. That will turn them black very quickly. It’s the surface area that gets exposed to oxygen that turns black. This is a very fruitful environment for bacteria to grow in also. So when you need the basil then you can cut it. As to not have unnecessary waste you should never prepare more basil then you need.
What Is The Best Way To Preserve Fresh Basil
If you want to prolong the period you can use basil, the preservation might be a very good route to go down. This includes both drying the leaves or even fermenting them. These methods will ensure you can still have a basil flavor in your kitchen long after you harvest it.
Let’s reiterate again on what we have been talking about in this article. Basil is a type of herb that easily can go bad if not kept in the right conditions. For the best chance of success we recommend using a dry container with a lid and some paper inside. This will keep moisture out which is the number one enemy for keeping basil fresh after harvest
A lot of people are having troubles with their basil plant developing a woody stem. Fortunately we have written an article that talks about what you can do about this and prevent it from happening. You can find that article right here, Saving A Woody Basil Stem.
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