How to store basil is a common question among gardeners who are just starting out with their own garden of basil. First things first, you need to understand why basil is so easy to store. Basil is a plant, which grows fairly quickly, even in hot and dry weather conditions. They are very small, so storage is not a problem, and consider all the fresh basil you could grow off your own seed. Like many of us gardeners, you likely have some basil on-hand and in your kitchen already.
When the weather gets hot and dry, basil starts to wilt and dry up. This does happen in other climates, but it’s more common in areas that are accustomed to having hot summers and droughts. If your area doesn’t get nearly as much rain as it does in the Mediterranean, then you may find that your basil plant will start to go dormant during the summer months, then wither and die during the winter. If you’ve already started growing basil from seeds, then hopefully you’ve either transplanted them yourself or purchased a container of seedling. Even if you’re not growing seedlings, there are other steps you can take to ensure that your plant will be able to survive even in the driest conditions.
First, keep any seed pods that may be in the pot dry and away from the plants. You may have noticed that a pod or two has begun to form in the bottom of a pot or container, and you might want to keep these for later use. The seeds inside the pod don’t dry out as fast as the plant, so they stay moist for a while. Seed pods dry out very quickly, but their fragile nature means that they should be kept out of the sun and moved often.
Next, check to make sure that your container or pots aren’t totally dry. Any remaining water is going to make your plants wilted, and you don’t want this to happen as Basil is such a lovely plant to begin with. The little tiny black basil seeds that are in the flower heads should also be kept dry. Simply take a good hard boiled egg and place the dried egg into the flower heads, leaving some exposed underside for air. Once the entire plant is covered in dried egg, you’re ready to put the plant in a plastic baggy to be air tight and to make sure that the little black basil seeds don’t dry out completely.
How to store basil seeds for freezing is quite different, but thankfully not as difficult. Keep the plant in a pot or container with holes in the bottom to allow air to circulate. Add some medium high heat cooking oil to the pot, add some salt and let the seeds sit until the medium high heat is reached. Once the seeds have reached the correct temperature, remove them from the pot and put them directly into your freezer.
Basil has a very unique growth habit. When young, the leaves are soft, spiny, and short lived, thus making them ideal for short storage times. As they grow older, the leaves harden, turn yellow, and fall off. Luckily there are many ways to keep basil plants from becoming too woody, including regularly pruning the plants.
Most gardeners save basil seed on sunny windowsills, but it is also possible to store these in a dishwater solution. A simple solution of one part water to two parts bleach and water is ideal. This will serve as a quick way of cleaning your seeds. Once you have finished cleaning your basil, wash the solution out with lukewarm water, and store your seeds safely away from any kind of moisture.
With the ability to grow basil plants inside and out year round, the most logical question when considering planting basil is, how to store basil seeds? Although the initial expense may seem steep, the payoff over time can be huge. As an added bonus, basil plants are very easy to maintain, which makes them a great houseplant option for people who enjoy gardening but don’t have the time or inclination to tend to their plants. Regardless of whether you grow basil plants for decoration or for culinary use, you will reap the rewards in both of these areas.
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