Basil

In Season
June-September

Storage Tips
Place the stems of your bunch of basil in a glass of water on your countertop.  Don't store your basil in the fridge! This is what causes the leaves to blacken quickly. It's also advisable not to wet the leaves until you are ready to use them.

To preserve excess basil, hang the bunch upside down to dry, then crumble into a glass jar.  Or try freezing it as a puree – just mix up a 2:1 ratio of oil to chopped basil and spoon into an empty ice cube tray.  Once frozen, the cubes can be taken out of the tray and stored in any airtight container.

Culinary Tips
Most commonly used in pesto, chopped basil also makes a great addition to any salad, pizza or pasta dish. While it is tastiest raw, it can also be cooked down in something like pasta sauce.

When making pesto, make sure to coat the top of your container with oil to create a seal limit the oxidation (browning) that occurs when your basil hits the fridge.

Recipes
Root 5 Farm Basil Pesto
Peach, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
One Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Basil
Naked Tomato Sauce
Basil Pesto

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