Does anybody know how to keep basil fresh? I tried putting the stems in water in the fridge and it wilted overnight. I tried just sticking it in and it wilted overnight. I'm buying more today and I want to try again. Should it not be in the refrigerator?
There's a nice piece on Cortis in the Bee today, with some ridic comments.
If you're buying basil in lumps from the lump store, you should wet a paper towel and wrap it in that and place it in plastic. It'll keep for a week in the refrigamater.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Darrell Corti pic...I prefer blurry and poorly cropped head shots.
-skpr
i second Skipper's advice. That's how we keep all our herbs/greens for longer than a day. That said, basil is the most fragile of all the herbs, and just can't keep that long. You can also just use a clean dish towel if you don't keep paper towels.
ReplyDeleteKeep the basil stems in water, but not in the fridge, and put a clear plastic bag over the the whole deal.
ReplyDeleteI also seal the bag over the glass with the water in it with a rubber band.
Sorry. I'm not describing this very well.
It makes a little mini green house and totally works.
wow, gavin mciness writes a surprisingly earnest reply to that hipster article
ReplyDeletehttp://streetbonersandtvcarnage.com/blog/hating-hipsters/#more-3496
I heartily agree. The level of hipster hating has reached unprecedented levels. Get over it, olds. I include myself in that statement. There is just more of everything, and it's all mashed together in ways that is hard for those of us who grew up in goth vs. progressive, vs. hippy type subcultures.
I started growing basil in my backyard in order to avoid the inevitable decay of most of the basil I bought. I'd do the same thing with cilantro but cilantro dies quickly and horribly in my care.
ReplyDeleteAnother bit of advice: put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into the water in which you dip the stalks of the basil.
I also grow my basil but it's been changing color to a light green shade. Am I over watering, too much sun or what? That was also my solution to the wilted basil problem. RMW
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's just old vs. young. A lot of the shit that annoys me about hipsters now
ReplyDelete(and I cringe using that term, really, I'm not even sure what it means, but I don't know how else to describe it)
is the same shit that annoyed me back when I was in my early 20's...
JD
yeah, same type of shit, but because of the internet there are way more people that are clued in. it almost seems like everyone is cool now.
ReplyDeleteHi Becky. Maybe I'm jumping in on an old post, but basil is my favorite herb and I always have a mess of it around. That being said I have to second Leon's advice. Cut the stems like you would your flower's, at an angle, cover it with a bag and change the water daily. Of course don't expect it to last forever. You can always make pesto if you have too much around. -Dillon
ReplyDeleteYou can freeze it too! It's no where near as awesome as the summer time fresh stuff, but come winter, you'll be thankful. Blend it with some oil and freeze it in cubes.
ReplyDeleteI grew some purple stuff this year that is just unbelievably beautiful!
Try some basil tea too. It's so yum!