I Finally Found the Best Way to Store Basil So It Stays Unbelievably Fresh for Almost Two Weeks
Is it just me, or does basil seem to turn black and unusable in the blink of an eye? You pick up that package at the store, with dreams of Caprese salad or a fragrant tossed pasta in your head. But maybe you get sidetracked for a day or so, and then find the whole bunch unusable when you’re ready to actually enjoy it. What a shame.
I’ve faced that scenario countless times and regretted that I allowed such a beautiful herb to go to waste. So I was thrilled to finally test, in my own kitchen, seven ways to store fresh basil in an effort to find the ones that work the best. I learned a lot through this process and will never let basil languish and spoil again. Read on to discover what worked best for me and which techniques were a total letdown.
So, What’s the Best Way to Store Fresh Basil?
Placing a bunch of basil in a small vase with some water on the countertop, just like a bouquet of flowers, keeps it pristine for almost two weeks. It blew the other methods away, outlasting all the rest by several days.
A Few Notes on Methodology
The basil: I purchased the freshest cut basil I could find (not plants) from the same store on the same day. They were all large bunches in clamshell packaging. For all of the testing, I left the basil unwashed, and I used one large bunch for each method.
The storage space: For the fridge methods, I specify where in the fridge I stashed the basil, as it differed (crisper drawer, bottom shelf, middle shelf). For the room-temperature countertop methods, I stored the basil out of direct sunlight but not in a dark spot. The basil saw daylight but wasn’t directly in the sun’s beams.
The testing: I checked on the basil twice every day: once in the morning and once just before I went to bed. I stored it for as long as I could for each method, throwing in the towel when the basil seemed unusable, having turned black, slimy, wilted, or all three.
The ratings: I judged each method on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing perfection. The main factor that I considered was the duration of freshness. Minor consideration went into the convenience or inconvenience of the storage vessel itself.
Basil Storage Method: Clamshell Container in Crisper Drawer
- Stayed fresh for: 2 days
- Rating: 2/10
About this method: I’ll admit that this is the method I’ve typically used as my go-to: Get home from the store, and toss the clamshell package of basil in the crisper drawer of the fridge with the other produce.
Results: You’d think I would have found another go-to method, because in this test, the basil fared about as well as it usually does for me — meaning not well at all. At the end of only two days, the basil was completely limp and covered in black spots; it was utterly unusable.
Basil Storage Method: Wrapped in Dry Paper Towels in a Zip-Top Bag in Refrigerator
- Stayed fresh for: 2.5 days
- Rating: 4/10
About this method: I wrapped a bunch of unwashed basil loosely in dry paper towels, placed the whole thing in a large zip-top plastic bag, sealed the bag, and stored it on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Results: At the two-day mark, the basil was wilted but still green and seemed usable, so I let it go another day. At that point, it was black, slimy … and destined for the compost.
Basil Storage Method: Bouquet Method in Refrigerator
- Stayed fresh for: 3.5 days
- Rating: 5/10
About this method: For this technique, I left the basil unwashed, trimmed the stem ends, and then arranged it in a quart-sized jar with an inch of water at the bottom, so that the stems were in the water but the leaves were up out of the liquid. I placed the jar in the fridge, on a middle shelf, and changed the water every two days.
Results: The basil started to wilt at the three-day mark but was still usable (i.e., not black or slimy). One day later, the leaves were all either covered with black spots or completely black throughout.
Basil Storage Method: Herb Keeper in Refrigerator
- Stayed fresh for: 4.5 days
- Rating: 6/10
About this method: For this test, I purchased an herb keeper, a dedicated container specifically for storing herbs. I filled the container with water to the fill line (a depth of about an inch), arranged the unwashed basil in the inner basket, and placed the basket in the container with the water. I placed the lid on top and stashed the container on the bottom shelf of my refrigerator.
Results: The basil stayed fresh and sturdy through three full days, and on the fourth day it started to wilt. On day five, it was black and limp and suitable only for composting. The herb keeper I purchased has an average 4.5-star rating from more than 2,000 votes, and I suspect that it works much better for other herbs such as parsley, rosemary, or thyme (see my key takeaways about basil storage at the end of this article). Also, at 9 inches tall, it takes a lot of vertical space, so I had to move some things around and rearrange fridge shelves to accommodate it.
Basil Storage Method: Bouquet Method on Countertop, Covered with a Zip-Top Bag
- Stayed fresh for: 7 days
- Rating: 7/10
About this method: For this highly touted method, I trimmed the basil stems, then placed the bunch (unwashed) in a jar with a couple inches of water, making sure that just the stems were in the water but none of the leaves touched the liquid. I then loosely covered the jar of basil with a large zip-top plastic bag and stored it at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. I changed the water every two days.
Results: This method kept the basil in pristine shape — bright green with no signs of wilting — for six full days. Toward the end of the seventh day, the sprigs were still firm and usable, but the leaves were just starting to blacken. I tried to let it go another day, but on day eight the bunch was toast, with most of the leaves black and limp.
Basil Storage Method: Quart Container on Countertop, Lid Slightly Ajar
- Stayed fresh for: 9 days
- Rating: 9/10
About this method: This technique, touted recently on Instagram, has you starting with trimmed, unwashed basil and placing it inside a quart container, the ubiquitous deli/takeout-type container, with an inch or so of water at the bottom. You then place the lid on loosely, store the container at room temperature out of direct sunlight, and change the water every couple of days.
Results: I was delighted by how long this method kept the basil in tip-top shape. At the eight-day mark, it looked and felt as fresh as it did on day one. At the end of nine days, only half of the basil remained usable; the other half had gone black and slightly slimy.
Basil Storage Method: Bouquet Method on Countertop
- Stayed fresh for: 12+ days
- Rating: 10/10
About this method: This was one of the easiest methods to implement. I trimmed the basil stems, left the bunch unwashed, and placed it in a small vase with an inch of water at the bottom, making sure that just the stems were in the water and no leaves were touching the liquid. I stored the basil on the countertop, out of direct sunlight, and changed the water every couple of days.
Results: Well, this method truly blew the others away. First, as I already mentioned, it was easy to do, as I didn’t even have to cover the basil; I just placed it, as I would a bouquet of flowers, in a vase with a little bit of water. And because it was uncovered the whole time, it was easy to judge how it was holding up from day to day, morning to night. The staying power of the herb was amazing with this method. It outlasted the second-best method by three whole days. At the 12-day mark (which happens to be my deadline to submit this story), only about a quarter of the basil had blackened and wilted, while the rest remained fresh, green, and firm. In theory, I could have removed the bad sprigs and let the rest go another few days.
Overall Key Takeaway: When in Doubt, Keep Your Basil Out
Basil is native to India and thrives in warm climates. The plants are known to be sensitive to cold temperatures, and the same appears to be true of cut basil. The three room-temperature storage methods I tested all performed better than any of the refrigerator methods, with the winner outlasting even the best fridge method by a full week. From now on, I will always take a few extra seconds to take the basil out of the package and place it on my countertop in a vase with a little water. The tiny bit of effort is 100% worth it.