This Spring I planted seeds to grow a kitchen herb garden. I planted basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, and cilantro. Amazingly, they’ve grown into big plants (except the cilantro, I don’t know what to do about my poor cilantro).
While I tend to already know the general gardening rules, like water plants only when the soil feels dry, and always water them in the morning…I found out I had a lot to learn about harvesting the herbs.
Today I want to talk about the best way to harvest basil. Pinching the stems right above where you see two small leaves is the best spot. Why? Because those two leaves are going to grow into their own two stems, which will basically double the amount of basil that you’ll get from that plant.
Once you’ve harvested the leaves, rinse them off in the sink. Then shake dry.
Now you’re ready to use these wonderfully poignant leaves to make dishes like homemade pesto.