Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

James Silverton wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd
> like to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested
> in gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills
> anyway.) Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great
> deal of fuss?

We buy both garlic and basil frozen. It's a small package with
individual little cubes of crushed herb - think ice cube tray and you'll
have the idea. The brand is Dorot and it's carried in most of the local
grocery stores. Works great, obviously not quite a flavorful as fresh
but convenience does count for something. The basil is good enough that
we make pesto from it.

Then again, spending $2.50 and getting a few meals from it over the
space of a week or so doesn't sound like a bad thing to me, either.

-S-

James Silverton wrote:
>
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
> --

Hang the extra, let it dry and then jar it.

On 3/5/2011 10:47 AM, Pete C. wrote:
>
> James Silverton wrote:
>>
>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
>> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
>> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
>> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
>> --
>
> Hang the extra, let it dry and then jar it.

Thanks but my impression is that dried basil loses much of its flavor.
You can even buy basil flakes but they don't seem to have much taste.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

On 3/5/2011 9:30 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?


Do you have a sunny windowsill? Grow your own and pick what you need.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

On 3/5/2011 10:46 AM, Steve Freides wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd
>> like to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested
>> in gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills
>> anyway.) Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great
>> deal of fuss?
>
> We buy both garlic and basil frozen. It's a small package with
> individual little cubes of crushed herb - think ice cube tray and you'll
> have the idea. The brand is Dorot and it's carried in most of the local
> grocery stores. Works great, obviously not quite a flavorful as fresh
> but convenience does count for something. The basil is good enough that
> we make pesto from it.
>
> Then again, spending $2.50 and getting a few meals from it over the
> space of a week or so doesn't sound like a bad thing to me, either.
>
> -S-
>
>
Thanks! I know about the frozen basil and also store-bought tubed basil
pesto. These are quite useful but are not the same thing as fresh basil
either in taste or texture. I am unlikely to make more than one dish
needing basil in the course of a week and a bunch of basil gets pretty
wilted after a week in the fridge. I use more cilantro than basil and it
only lasts a week but a bunch costs me 70 cents.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

On 3/5/2011 11:07 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 3/5/2011 9:30 AM, James Silverton wrote:
>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
>> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
>> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
>> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
>
>
> Do you have a sunny windowsill? Grow your own and pick what you need.
>
As I said in my post, I'm not an indoor gardener even if I have a rubber
plant, a philodendron and a sanseveria all about 40 years old! The
rubber tree has been cloned about 8 times so far to reduce its size.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

On Mar 5, 8:18*am, James Silverton > wrote:

In grocery stores here there are basil plants sold with a little root
ball still attached on the plant.
I buy one and put it in a tall glass with a little bit of water and
use the leaves as I need them. It lasts
at least a week or more.

On 3/5/2011 9:30 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?

For use in cooking I generally would run it through the food processor
then put it in ice cube trays, freeze, then bag for later use when
cooking a meal. You can also make pesto sans the cheese, freeze on a bun
tray, then bag for later use on about anything.

On Mar 5, 8:47*am, ImStillMags > wrote:
> On Mar 5, 8:18*am, James Silverton > wrote:
>
> In grocery stores here there are basil plants sold with a little root
> ball still attached on the plant.
> I buy one and put it in a tall glass with a little bit of water and
> use the leaves as I need them. * It lasts
> at least a week or more.

oh...and In the stores where I shop that basil is not over where the
herbs are sold. It's usually with the
fresh greens and stuff. They have it in one of those black v shaped
flower holders usually. You have to
look around for it.

On Mar 5, 10:30*am, James Silverton > wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
> --
>
> James Silverton, Potomac
>
> "Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

I would use whatever fresh I needed, then dry the rest in my
dehydrator. Or make a honkin' big pot of tomato sauce, use the rest
of the basil and freeze the sauce in small batches.

James Silverton wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd
> like to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested
> in gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills
> anyway.) Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great
> deal of fuss?

There's a brand called Olivia's Garden that comes with a little root ball.
You can pluck leaves off for a few days without the whole thing dying.

Another solution is to buy a lot of it when the price is more reasonable--or
grow it if you have the right kind of spot--and make a sort of pesto base
with just basil and olive oil, or just basil, olive oil, and garlic. I
freeze it in an 8" pan, then turn it out and chop into cubes that I store in
a bag in the freezer.

On Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:10:35 -0500, James Silverton
> wrote:

>... a bunch of basil gets pretty wilted after a week in the fridge.

Are you keeping it in a glass partially filled with water?

-- Larry

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
| Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
| basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
| make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
| and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
| to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
| gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
| Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
| --

Given that you want it to stay in a fresh state, the following
article is well-researched and works for me:
http://tinyurl.com/2dysuwf
good luck
pavane

On 3/5/2011 12:30 PM, Janet wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd
>> like to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested
>> in gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills
>> anyway.) Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great
>> deal of fuss?
>
> There's a brand called Olivia's Garden that comes with a little root ball.
> You can pluck leaves off for a few days without the whole thing dying.
>
> Another solution is to buy a lot of it when the price is more reasonable--or
> grow it if you have the right kind of spot--and make a sort of pesto base
> with just basil and olive oil, or just basil, olive oil, and garlic. I
> freeze it in an 8" pan, then turn it out and chop into cubes that I store in
> a bag in the freezer.
>
>
Thanks! Taste and texture are different things. For example, when making
Thai food I only add the basil a few minutes before serving. To me, if
you cook basil for a long time, it might as well be cooked spinach,
which I don't like either.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using basil
> where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I make for
> myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores and a bunch
> is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like to keep the
> basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in gardening in my
> kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.) Have there been
> any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
> --
>
>
> James Silverton, Potomac
>

Herbs freeze just fine. Portion it out and freeze it. It won't look as
pretty but you can store it for a long time that way.

Jill

On 3/5/2011 12:34 PM, wrote:
> On Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:10:35 -0500, James Silverton
> > wrote:
>
>> ... a bunch of basil gets pretty wilted after a week in the fridge.
>
> Are you keeping it in a glass partially filled with water?
>
> -- Larry

That's getting into kitchen gardening for me :-) I like to minimize the
number of jars and bottles on the bench since they breed like rabbits. I
just noticed that I had three bottles of olive oil! I've seen rather
overpriced plastic containers with a water supply that I may have to
investigate.

Pavane agrees with you, http://tinyurl.com/2dysuwf
basil tends to blacken in the fridge.




--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

On Mar 5, 10:30 am, James Silverton > wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?

The "stick it a glass of water" method is low fuss as mentioned.
Picking off the leaves and putting them in a baggie, squeezing out the
air, and freezing them keeps them pretty green and tasty, even if the
texture is wilted when thawed out. Pesto is good, too, of course.
Drying isn't as interesting - quite a bit of flavor is lost IMO.

But what I really want to address is the "using" basil part of your
initial question.

One of our favorite meals is a variation on salad Nicoise: Layers of
tomato slices, cooked (and dressed) ziti or penne, green beans, and
fresh basil leaves, with tuna (canned or fresh seared), anchovies,
capers, hardboiled egg slices, Nicoise olives, of course, and a lemony
garlicky anchovy vinaigrette over all. Uses up a *lot* of fresh
basil!

You can also use up a lot by lining (fresh) spring roll wrappers with
them before rolling up the (presumably Thai) filling in them.

Occasionally I'll make a "white" grilled-chicken (or whatever you
prefer) pizza with a healthy layer of basil leaves between the crust
and the topping(s). Uses up a fair amount of basil and is easier than
making pesto.

--
Silvar Beitel
(basil lover and very occasional poster)

On Mar 5, 11:04*am, James Silverton > wrote:
> On 3/5/2011 10:47 AM, Pete C. wrote:
>
>
>
> > James Silverton wrote:
>
> >> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> >> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> >> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> >> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> >> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> >> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway..)
> >> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
> >> --
>
> > Hang the extra, let it dry and then jar it.
>
> Thanks but my impression is that dried basil loses much of its flavor.
> You can even buy basil flakes but they don't seem to have much taste.
>
> --
>
> James Silverton, Potomac
>
> "Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

Buy it dried from Penzeys. LOTS of flavor, buy the small jar and
you'll be fine. keep it in a drawer away from a heat source and it
will last you a year for under $2. I realized I had never actually
tasted dried basil (or many other herbs, for that matter) until I
started buying from Penzeys. Also, basil does not hold up to long
cooking. Add it shortly before serving and you won't lose the flavor.
That is true of fresh and dried.

There is a Penzeys in Rockville MD and Falls Church VA. If they are
not near you, you can order online. Of course you'll pay for shipping
but you'd pay for gas to get there, too. Shipping costs for a $20
order will run you less than the current price of 2 gallons of gas!!

www.penzeys.com

No longer an employee of Penzeys, but a satisfied customer for 15
years.

On Mar 5, 12:38*pm, James Silverton > wrote:
> On 3/5/2011 12:30 PM, Janet wrote:
>
> > James Silverton wrote:
> >> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> >> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> >> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> >> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd
> >> like to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested
> >> in gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills
> >> anyway.) Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great
> >> deal of fuss?
>
> > There's a brand called Olivia's Garden that comes with a little root ball.
> > You can pluck leaves off for a few days without the whole thing dying.
>
> > Another solution is to buy a lot of it when the price is more reasonable--or
> > grow it if you have the right kind of spot--and make a sort of pesto base
> > with just basil and olive oil, or just basil, olive oil, and garlic. I
> > freeze it in an 8" pan, then turn it out and chop into cubes that I store in
> > a bag in the freezer.
>
> Thanks! Taste and texture are different things. For example, when making
> Thai food I only add the basil a few minutes before serving. To me, if
> you cook basil for a long time, it might as well be cooked spinach,
> which I don't like either.
>
> --
>
> James Silverton, Potomac
>
> "Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

It's not just you: basil does not hold up to long cooking. It should
be added at the end of cooking. Basil is a top note. It doesn't last
long enough to be anything but.

I highly recommend dried herbs from Penzeys. They will last a year if
stored away from heat and light and their flavors are bright and true.
Much better than most of the other dried herbs available in the
supermarket, and as long as you stick to their individual herbs, much
less expensive. I use their dried herbs almost exclusively. The only
time I buy fresh herbs, it's dill or parsley, and it's only when I
know will be able to use the entire bunch (such as when making chicken
stock).

On Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:18:04 -0500, James Silverton
> wrote:

>On 3/5/2011 11:07 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>> On 3/5/2011 9:30 AM, James Silverton wrote:
>>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>>> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>>> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>>> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
>>> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
>>> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
>>> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
>>
>>
>> Do you have a sunny windowsill? Grow your own and pick what you need.
>>
>As I said in my post, I'm not an indoor gardener

If buying fresh basil as needed is too pricy for you and you're
unwilling to grow your own (indoors or outdoors) then you're SOL.

If you're going to cook fresh basil into recipes simply make extra and
freeze. If you want fresh basil for salads you might look into
similarly flavored herbs as substitutes; fennel works well. I think
fennel works better with tomato sauce and sausage anyway, I think
basil is way over rated... fennel works very well in salads. And
unlike basil fennel likes cold so keeps much longer in the fridge.
Btw, if dried basil is rehydrated in cold water prior to using it in
recipes it will taste exactly like fresh or better. All dried herbs
should be rehydrated prior to cooking, especially with acetic foods...
dried basil should never be added directly to tomato sauce, it will
just add bitterness, no sweet basil flavor at all. There is nothing
bad about dehydrated foods, you just need to learn how to cook...
drying is the oldest form of food preserving, most dried foods taste
better than when fresh. If all dehydrated foods were removed from the
market shelves there'd be pittifully little to eat, not even a slice
of bread.

James Silverton > wrote:

>Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
>to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
>gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
>Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?

This little hydroponics setup solves the low light and maintenance
problems-
http://www.amazon.com/Prepara-Grow-a...9354956&sr=8-6

It is about $80 & you have to look at it as a decorating expense that
happens to have fresh herbs sticking out of it. I keep forgetting
to hook up the meter to it to see how much electricity it uses daily.
Mine has been going for a couple months-- and I could probably snip a
couple tbls each of parsley, basil and savory at this point.

I give it some water every 2 weeks-

More economical and remarkably effective was the "Herb Savor" that
came with it. I got 6 weeks out of some parsley in the door of the
refrigerator. I've seen them for $20-30, so you might as well get
the little garden too.

Jim

On Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:58:47 -0500, James Silverton
> wrote:

>On 3/5/2011 12:34 PM, wrote:
>> On Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:10:35 -0500, James Silverton
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> ... a bunch of basil gets pretty wilted after a week in the fridge.
>>
>> Are you keeping it in a glass partially filled with water?
>
>That's getting into kitchen gardening for me :-) I like to minimize the
>number of jars and bottles on the bench since they breed like rabbits

Not on the counter, but in the refrigerator. A small glass, like a
jelly jar. It keeps for well over a week that way. at which point you
can chuck the water, remove the leaves from the stems, and spread the
leaves in a small dish(like a 4 0z. prep dish) on the counter to dry,
which will take about another two weeks.

During those two weeks, you can use them as you would fresh for
cooking. So you basically have fresh basil for over three weeks, and
the remainer in a jar as dried. Makes your $2.50 go a lot farther.

We almost always have prep dishes of basil, parsley, rosemary, and
oregano on the counter by the knife block. They only require a total
area six inches square.

My wife, the gardner, tries to sneak in summer savory and others, as
if I knew what to do with them...

-- Larry

On Sat, 5 Mar 2011 12:51:24 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>
> Herbs freeze just fine. Portion it out and freeze it. It won't look as
> pretty but you can store it for a long time that way.

Yes, freeze the leftovers. I always chop basil in olive oil (mini
food processor) and freeze it that way, because that's the way it's
going to be used anyway.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using basil
> where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I make for
> myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores and a bunch
> is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like to keep the
> basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in gardening in my
> kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.) Have there been
> any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?

I have a family of three and I still can't use it all. Yes, I know I could
make pesto and I could freeze pesto but I also know I would never use it for
anything.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> On 3/5/2011 10:47 AM, Pete C. wrote:
>>
>> James Silverton wrote:
>>>
>>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>>> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
>>> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
>>> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
>>> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
>>> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
>>> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
>>> --
>>
>> Hang the extra, let it dry and then jar it.
>
> Thanks but my impression is that dried basil loses much of its flavor. You
> can even buy basil flakes but they don't seem to have much taste.

I put it in a jar of water and treat them as I do flowers. Keeps much
better
--
--

https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

In article >,
James Silverton > wrote:

> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned.

Ask the produce guy if you can buy half a bunch. He just might give you
three stems foc.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Mar 5, 9:30*am, James Silverton > wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?
> --
>
> James Silverton, Potomac
>
> "Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

I gotta scatter basil seeds soon!! And tomatoes!

John Kuthe...

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> James Silverton > wrote:
>
>> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
>> basil where one person is concerned.
>
> Ask the produce guy if you can buy half a bunch. He just might give you
> three stems foc.

Many years ago the guy ahead of me in line asked if he could buy just one
sprig of some kind of herb. The checker told him repeatedly that he could
only sell him the whole bunch. That was the way it came. But the guy kept
protesting that he only needed one sprig.

Finally the checker got really angry, whipped out his box cutter, whacked
off a sprig, threw it at the man and told him to just take it and leave.

On Mar 5, 10:30*am, James Silverton > wrote:
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd like
> to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested in
> gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills anyway.)
> Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great deal of fuss?

I've had some sitting in water in my fridge (like flowers at the
florist)
for more than a week. When I brought it home, it looked a little
wilted, so I cut it on the diagonal with a sharp knife, put it in a
jar with a little water (not so the leaves could touch the water),
put a plastic bag over it kind of loosely, and there it sits. I
probably should change the water.

Cindy Hamilton

James Silverton > wrote:
>
> Have there been any developments in the problem of buying and using
> basil where one person is concerned. I can't think of any dish that I
> make for myself that uses a whole bunch of basil as sold in the stores
> and a bunch is often quite expensive, say $2.50. At that price I'd
> like to keep the basil for a couple of weeks but I am not interested
> in gardening in my kitchen (I don't have any suitable window-sills
> anyway.) Have there been any ideas to store basil without a great
> deal of fuss?

Many herbs are available freeze dried... I use freeze dried chives and
they are excellent.
http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Hand-Bas...9530441&sr=8-2