How to Harvest Basil Leaves

Young basil leaves are delicious in salads.

To a cook, there are few things as pleasant as a nice patch of basil growing in a garden or on a sill. Basil's pleasant aroma and rich flavor make it a key ingredient in recipes the world over. And basil is as easy to harvest as it is to grow. If your basil grows outside, the best time to harvest is at the start of a sunny day, just after the dew dries from the leaves. Indoor basil can be picked any time.

Things You'll Need

• Rag
• Rubbing alcohol
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Wipe down your pruning shears' blades with rubbing alcohol to sterilize them.

2. Hold a basil leaf steady between a thumb and a forefinger.

3. Make a pruning cut on the basil leaf's stem, 1/4 inch above the node. The node is the swollen tissue at the base of the basil leaf's stem where it connects to the main stem.

4. Never prune more than 25 percent of the basil's leaves at one time. Leave the bottom four to six leaves on the plant or it will not grow back.

Tips & Warnings

• Rinse basil leaves before eating or storing them.

• Use fresh basil immediately. It begins to deteriorate shortly after it is picked. For longer storage, dry the basil. It will last up to one year, but drying dulls its flavor. For maximum flavor, chop the basil fine, mix it with water and pour it into ice cube trays. It will last up to six months and keep its flavor.

• If you are harvesting mature basil leaves to dry, wait until just before the basil flowers in midsummer. Then harvest all the leaves before the flower buds swell and bloom.

References

• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet; Growing, Selecting And Using Basil; Jeanne Youger-Comaty
• University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program; Growing, Harvesting and Using Culinary Herbs
• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Basil; Joey Williamson; December 2008