How to Keep Basil Stems Alive

Basil is native to tropical regions of Asia as well as India and Iran.

Especially high in vitamins A and K, basil is a considered a healthy herb to add to recipes. Additionally, basil contains essential oils such as eugenol, citronellol, linalool, citral, limonene and terpineol that are known to have both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. However, one of the main troubles with fresh basil is that when you get it home it seems to die quite quickly. Next time you buy a bunch at the store or farmer's market, employ a technique to keep both the stems and leaves fresh for a longer period of time. Does this Spark an idea?

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Glass
Water, filtered or distilled
Scissors
Plastic sandwich bag

Instructions

- 1
  
  Pour room-temperature filtered or distilled water into a glass so it is about half full. If using water from the fridge, pour it in the glass and allow it to sit out for about 20 minutes to come to room temperature.
- 2
  
  Snip the ends of the basil stems with your scissors. Trim the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the stems and discard.
- 3
  
  Place the basil stems in the water.
- 4
  
  Cut several holes near the bottom of your plastic bag using your scissors. Think of these as little air holes, so they can be small in diameter -- about 1 cm.
- 5
  
  Place the bag over the basil leaves. Think of this as making a little greenhouse for your fresh basil.
- 6
  
  Place the basil in an area that gets a significant amount of indirect sunlight during the day. Remove the plastic and use basil as needed. Additionally, if the water gets low after a few days, refill the water, and re-cut the ends as described above.