I don't remember where I heard this tip, but since it works so well and it is basil season, it's worth sharing.When you bring your basil home, trim the stems with a clipper, remove the rubber band or twist tie, and place the bunch in a glass or vase. Add a few inches of water to cover the base of the stems. Then take a plastic bag and cut a few holes in it (the fresh shiitake mushrooms I buy come in a bag with holes pre-made, so I often re-use them for this purpose). Place a plastic bag over the basil leaves and place the assembly in a well-lit location, but out of the direct sunlight. Check the water level daily and add more as needed. If all goes well roots will start sprouting from the basil, converting it into a pseudo-hydroponic system. The photo below shows how it looks at the end.
I think this works well because the plastic bag provides a moist environment for the basil leaves; the holes in the bag prevent too much moisture from building up (which can cause rotting); the water, although nutrient free, keeps the basil alive; and storage at room temperature allows the plant to function normally.Another example of the success of this method: a bunch of basil that I finished last weekend had been on my counter for at least six weeks.
Random link from the archive: Summer's Colors and Variety (stuffed eggplant)
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12 comments:
Awesome tip, thanks for sharing it! One question though: How do you keep from using it all before it has a time to grow?
Got that same hint from one of my favorite organic farmers last week at the farmer's market. Thanks for posting the pics! I'm hoping mine will make it as long as yours!
We did this, minus the bag, and the bunch lasted so long we finally planted it in the ground. We figured that if it was hardy enough to thrive without soil that it would be just fine in the earth. It's actually doing pretty well!
Brilliant brillant! I have been test driving all kinds of methods this summer and only getting as much as 6 days. I will try this out, thanks!
I am so glad I found this tip late last week before being handed an enormous bunch of basil from a friend's garden. Now I don't have to turn it all into pesto before I lose most of it. Thanks!
Works great for asparagus (in the fridge), too!
Wow. Does this work for other herbs? I love fresh cilantro more than my own mother, but hate buying new batches constantly.... I will have to give it a try. Thanks!
Thanks everyone for the kind words. I'm sure my idea has been in books before, but for me it was just one of those "light bulb" moments.
sarah c. asked how I keep my herbs around for a few weeks. It's hard to say. One reason is that I'm always buying too many vegetables at the Farmers Market ("Sure, I'll add a bunch of basil to my order."). Another is that my cooking attention span can be limited, so if I think about cooking Thai one moment, I might switch to Mexican the next.
Monica --- that's a very good question, one for which I do not know the answer. For some reason I have never tried it with cilantro or any other herb (I have a reasonably well-stocked herb garden that contains most of the herbs I like to use. But not cilantro, which I can't grow.). Perhaps I'll try it this week.
Hi there. Great Job! I am starting a Commercial Organic Aquaponics Fish farm myself. If you get a chance check out Hydroponics and Hydroponics blog.
This sounds like a great plan of action, which I will try starting today. Regarding cilantro, I just read in the NYTimes that you can essentially do the same with it, ie., put the cut ends in water. The poster only mentioned keeping it in the fridge, not actually rooting and growing it. Same idea, though
thanks for the tip but does the basil have to have roots already? or is it just cut off?
Anonymous asked: "does the basil have to have roots already? or is it just cut off?"
It doesn't need to have the roots already -- they will sprout from the cut end of the plant after a few days.
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