Saving Basil Seeds

Outside the fence....  Gathering Basil Seeds

Everyone who knows me, knows I cannot never have enough basil.

And those of us who grow basil, know how easy it is to grow. But even better, it is easy to get seeds from this year’s basil harvest for next year and grow next year’s basil crop for free!

 Late summer to early fall is the perfect time to gather your seeds!

 The basil plants are winding down about now.  The seeds will be made by the pollinated flowers, so look for flowers stems that are starting to dry and have seed pods. 

 Cut the flower stalk several inches below the bottom seed pod.

 Gather the flower stalks by the stem and rubber band them together.

Place them, seed heads down, in a brown paper bag and tape the bag shut. Hang the bag with the stems upside down out of the way, and let them sit for a couple weeks in a dry place.

 When you’re ready to process the seeds, shake the bag to remove any stubborn seeds from the stalk.

 Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of white paper. This helps you see the tiny black seeds as you sort the seeds from the chaff. Collect seeds in an envelope and label them for next year.

 Optional step for extra credit:  Pour seeds from the paper bag onto the white paper. Blow very gently across the pile & watch the dry chaff lift off, leaving behind basil seeds you can plant for next year.

 Store dried seeds in an airtight container in a cool spot.