How to Preserve Fresh Basil on the Countertop

If you have a bunch of fresh basil and you'd like to keep it fresh a little longer, here's how to preserve fresh basil on the countertop! No kidding!

I love basil!  And if you have ever bought it in the grocery store, in that plastic container, you know what I am talking about.  Wilted, discolored leaves that leave you with sheer disappointment for $4.00.

I have heard that some people put a zip lock bag over their basil to create a "greenhouse" effect.  So...I tried it.  So...it failed.  The basil got moldy.  So...I am not doing that again.

I have been freezing fresh basil for many years and then started researching how to re-grow basil from cuttings.  And....voila!  I have turned 1 plant into 20 plants for the entire summer and will always have fresh basil on my countertop all year round.  Not to mention, any green on a countertop is more than welcome during our long, cold winters here in MN.

Recently I cut several buckets of basil and froze some, used some to make basil pesto, and kept out a generous handful of basil stalks for a little experiment. So, just how long do you think a jar of basil will stay good on the kitchen counter if you keep adding water?

Here's the basil jar the first day, and the basil is brightly green and fragrant.

Day 3, and there is no noticeable difference in the color or smell of the basil.

After three more days go by, some leaves are barely starting to curl, and the overall plant looks just the tiniest bit wilted.

Two more days, and the leaves are a little more curled, but still fragrant and perfectly usable.

Finally, 10 entire days and although one leaf has fallen off, the basil is really essentially as good as when I put it in the jar. I filled the water about every other day, and didn't allow myself to cut any leaves off so I could compare the photos. Of course, I doubt you'd ever keep a jar of fresh basil this long without snipping off most of the leaves to add to whatever you're cooking, but I thought it was great fun to see that it lasted this long.

So now nearly two weeks later, the basil is mostly still perfectly fresh and usable! Most of the stems have roots, and the basil is growing in the water.

And this, my friends, is how I reproduced my basil from 1 plant to 20.  I literally just put the rooted stems into garden soil and they took off. 

Happy Harvesting....You're welcome!   ;-)