If you’re looking for a way to make your basil harvest last, infusing it in oil or vinegar is a fantastic—and delicious—way to go. Whether you choose oil or vinegar, the flavor is absolutely top-notch. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
The Harvest
Always start with freshly harvested basil. For the best results, harvest the leaves from the top of the plant. You can pinch off entire stems or cut them with garden shears. Just make sure to cut right above a pair of leaves; new shoots will grow from those little “eyes” at the leaf nodes, which keeps your harvest going all season long.
The Prep Work
Strip the leaves from the stems you’ve gathered. If your basil was growing outside, give the leaves a gentle wash to get rid of any dirt or garden hitchhikers. If it’s been growing indoors, you can usually skip the wash. The most important part? Make sure the leaves are bone-dry before you move on to the next step.
Infusing in Oil
To make basil-infused oil, you’ll need a glass jar or a wide-necked bottle. Chop your fresh leaves into small strips or pieces and pack them loosely into the container. Pour in a high-quality olive oil and give it a good stir to let any trapped air bubbles escape. It’s super important that the leaves are completely submerged in the oil—anything poking out could develop mold.
Store your jar in a cool, dark spot for about three weeks to let the flavors develop, then strain it.
Infusing in Vinegar
A nice herb vinegar is a total game-changer in the kitchen. Just like with the oil, take your clean, chopped leaves and cover them with a mild vinegar. Let it sit for three weeks. Fun fact: you can even use basil flowers for this!
Making Homemade Pesto
For a killer pesto, you’ll need about 100 ml of neutral olive oil, two big handfuls of basil leaves, 2 garlic cloves, 100 grams of pine nuts (or your favorite nuts), about 50 grams of Parmesan cheese, plus salt and pepper.
- Clean the basil leaves and give them a rough chop.
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Finely grate the Parmesan.
- Toss everything into a tall container and blend it with an immersion blender.
- If you have a food processor, that works great too—just pulse until smooth.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pesto is a classic over pasta, but it’s also amazing with grilled meats or halloumi. Honestly, it’s even delicious just spread on a piece of buttered bread.
Pro Tip: Pesto is perfect for freezing . Just pop it into a freezer-safe container, and it’ll stay fresh for several months.
