Harvesting Basil: Tips to Maximize Flavor and Yield

Harvesting basil from the garden is one of my favorite summer activities. We use the flavor-packed leaves in pasta, pesto, on pizzas, and in fresh salads like Caprese salad. Plus, surplus basil harvests can be frozen or dried for future meals. How and when you harvest basil can have a big impact on plant health, flavor, and production. Below you’ll get my tips on harvesting basil, including types of basil like Genovese, Thai, and lemon, to ensure you’ve got a non-stop supply of this popular herb.

Why it’s important to know when and how to harvest basil

Harvesting basil at the right growth stage and the right time of day can impact the quality and flavor of the leaves. For example, the best harvest comes from young tender leaves picked early in the day. Older leaves are tougher and contain fewer of the flavorful essential oils basil is prized for. Same with basil picked late in the day. You’ll find higher levels of the flavor compounds if you harvest basil in the morning. Learn more about the science of basil flavor here.

It’s also important to learn how to pick basil as pinching the plants back properly promotes side-shoot growth and increases yield. Harvesting doesn’t mean plucking all the leaves from the stems leaving them completely defoliated. Instead, it’s better for the plant to pinch or prune the stems back to a strong set of side shoots. More on all of this below.

Herb garden — Basil is an easy to grow herb that benefits from regular picking.

How basil grows

Before I get into the nitty gritty of harvesting basil, I want to take a minute to explain how basil grows. Understanding the growth habit of basil allows you to harvest more effectively and promote plenty of new growth for future harvests. Most types of basil grow 24 to 36 inches tall, although there are short stature varieties, like ‘Prospera® Compact DMR’ and ‘Pluto’ which stay very compact.

Basil types like Genovese, lemon, cinnamon, and Thai basil produce a central stem with many side branches. Pinching the plants back regularly encourages lots of dense new growth to develop. Greek basils, on the other hand, have compact rounded forms and grow just 10 to 12 inches high. Each plant produces hundreds of tiny leaves and dozens of stems. Frequent harvseting also promotes new shoots to form.

Harvesting basil from a container — Frequent harvesting promotes side shoot development and well-branched plants.

When to start harvesting basil

Many gardeners shy away from using their herbs during the growing season preferring to harvest them at the end of summer for drying or freezing. While I certainly do preserve plenty of my homegrown basil, I also pick it almost daily starting in early summer and continuing until frost kills the plants in autumn. We love the spicy-sweet flavor of basil and frequent picking means plenty of fresh growth. Harvesting begins about a month after transplanting when the plants are about 8 inches tall. The first harvest is to trim the main stem back to a strong set of side shoots. This promotes well-branched plants, increasing production.

Most types of basil take 60 to 70 days to go from seed germination to a harvestable size. Certain types, like Greek basils are even quicker to grow and you can start picking just 50-55 days from seeding. Use the days to maturity information listed on the seed packet or in the seed catalog as a guide to timing the harvest season.

You’ll also notice that most types of basil start to flower by mid-summer. Flowering isn’t a bad thing as bees and other pollinators love the delicate blooms. However, once a basil plant blooms new leaf production slows. To delay flowering, use your fingers or a pair of garden snips to remove flower buds from the plants as they form. The fragrant buds are edible and I like to use them as I would basil leaves.

Picking garden herbs — Greek basil cultivars, like Spicy Globe and Aristotle add beauty, flavor, and fragrance to the garden. I pick the stems as needed or sprinkle the whole leaves over pasta.

The best time of day for harvesting basil

Is there a best time of day for picking basil? Yes! It’s best to harvest early to mid morning once the dew has dried because this is when the leaves contain the highest amounts of essential oils. If you wait to harvest basil until late in the day, flavor quality declines. This is particularly impactful in hot, sunny weather because high temperatures dissipate the oils in the leaves. When I’m harvesting basil for drying, freezing, or big batches of pesto I always harvest early in the day.

However, if I’m cooking dinner and need basil for immediate kitchen use I’ll pop out to the garden to clip a few stems. It may not be quite as flavor-packed as basil harvested early in the day but it’s still delicious.

Harvesting basil

There are many types and varieties of basil you can grow and my favorites include Genovese basil, lemon basil, purple basil, cinnamon basil, Thai basil, and Greek basil. Below is more information on harvesting a few of these different basils. Once you’ve gathered basil, place the stems in a harvest basket, garden hod, or other container to avoid bruising the leaves.

Harvesting Genovese basil

Genevose basil, a type of sweet basil, has large cup-shaped leaves and plants that grow 18 to 30 inches tall, depending on the cultivar. This is the basil to grow if you wish to make pesto. I start to harvest from my Genovese basil plants when they’re 6 to 8 inches tall, about a month after planting. At that point I prune the main stem back to a healthy leaf node. You’ll see a set of small side shoots on either side of the stem and you can use a small pair of scissors or garden snips to clip the basil. This first trim gives me a little fresh basil to eat immediately and results in bushier, more vigorous plants.

Harvesting Greek basil

It’s no secret that I love growing Greek basil. The plants have a compact rounded form and I like to plant them along the sides of my raised vegetable beds for an attractive edible edge. The foliage of Greek basil is very dense and I find it best to pinch out whole stems cutting back to a side shoot. If you just need a little basil, use garden snips to trim some leaves from the outside of the plant.

herb gardening — Don’t be shy about harvesting basil. I start to harvest in early summer with the crop extending until the first hard frost in autumn.

Harvesting Thai basil

Thai basil plants are very ornamental with bright green leaves, deep purple stems, and edible purple flower clusters. The leaves have a delightful licorice flavor and may be plucked individually or you can clip whole stems. Again, when harvesting from my basil plants I like to do so in a way that promotes future growth which means pinching or clipping stems back to a healthy set of side shoots.

Harvesting lemon basil

Lemon basil, as well as lime basil, has a lovely citrus aroma and flavor that pairs wonderfully with fruit salad and lemonade, and I love adding the chopped leaves to barbecue marinade or sprinkling them over ice cream. Harvest leaves as needed or trim the stems back every two weeks to promote fresh growth. If you spot flower buds developing, pinch them back to slow bolting and encourage new leaf production.

Harvesting herbs — Surplus basil can be dried or frozen for future meals.

How to store basil

If you don’t plan on using harvested basil right away, store the stems of basil in jars or glasses of water. I keep them on my kitchen counter out of bright sun. They’ll be fine stored this way for a few days, although I do suggest changing the water daily. Don’t place containers of fresh basil in the refrigerator as cool temperatures turn the leaves brown.

If you haven’t used the basil in a week, you may spot roots beginning to grow from the bottoms of the stems. At this point, you can plant them up in pots to transition them back to the garden. Rooting basil in water is an easy way to get more plants.

Harvesting basil for drying

Fresh basil leaves offer the most flavor, but drying basil is a quick and easy way to enjoy this aromatic herb year round. Drying basil can also save money as small jars of dried basil cost about $6 each at the supermarket. Here are 3 ways to dry basil:

Air dry – Hanging basil in small bunches is the traditional way to dry the leaves. Gather stems from your garden, rinsing them clean. Pat them dry in a clean dish towel and then gather them into small bundles securing them together with a rubber band. Hang in a warm well ventilated spot, out of direct sun because sunlight can reduce the flavor of the leaves. Check after 7 to 10 days and if the leaves are crisp, remove them from the stems for storage.
Dehydrator – A few years ago I bought a dehydrator which makes drying basil a cinch! I simply spread the clean, dry leaves on the dehydrator trays and set it to ‘herb drying’ mode. In 3 to 4 hours the leaves are dry and ready to be stored for later use.
Oven – I’ve successfully dried basil in my oven many times, but you do need to keep a close eye on the leaves so they don’t burn. Start by pre-heating the oven to 170 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the leaves from the stems and spread them on the sheet. It takes 1 to 2 hours for the leaves to dry fully, but check them often and remove the tray when the leaves are crisp.

Store fully dried basil leaves in jars or baggies and keep out of direct light.

Picking basil from a garden — You can use garden snips, small scissors, or your fingers to harvest basil stems and leaves.

Harvesting basil for freezing

Freezing basil is one of the best ways to preserve the flavor of this popular herb. It’s my go-to way to use up extra garden basil to ensure we have plenty for autumn and winter meals and there are two main ways to freeze basil:

Freeze whole leaves – Remove the basil leaves from their stems placing them in a big bowl. Rinse them clean and spread them on a clean dish towel to dry. Once they’re dry, place them on baking trays lined with parchment paper and put the tray in the freezer. This flash freezes the leaves and once fully frozen you can move them to a freezer bag. Store in the freezer and use as needed.
Chop and freeze – Because I freeze a lot of basil I prefer to chop the leaves first in my food processor as chopped leaves take up less space in the freezer. Remove the leaves from the stems and wash and dry them. Place the leaves in a food processor adding a drizzle of olive oil. Process until chopped into small pieces. Move the chopped basil into an ice cube tray or freezer bag. Using ice cube trays makes it easy to pop out a couple of basil cubes anytime you want a burst of summer fresh flavor in pasta and other recipes. If using freezer bags, flatten them before freezing so it’s easy to break off chunks of the frozen basil leaves.

Learn more about growing a bumper crop of basil in these in-depth articles: