Last updated on September 23rd, 2022 at 11:53 am
Basil plants are one of the most versatile herbs ever. It uses stretch from salad ingredients to ice cream constituents.
You can never overemphasize the usefulness of Basil leaves. However, a significant issue Basil users have with the leaves of this plant is its lifespan once plucked.
Basil leaves turning brown in the fridge happens all the time. Basil leaves turn brown/black or develop brown/black spots when stored in a refrigerator.
Why does a Basil Leaf turn Brown in the Fridge?
Basil leaves are very fragile. Therefore, they have a very short shelf life. Shelf life is the length a product lasts in storage under normal conditions.
Therefore, the best way to enjoy your basil leaves is to use them immediately after you acquire them.
Basil leaves turn brown/black due to oxidation, which means; when a bruised, torn, or open part of the leaf is exposed to air. In addition, basil leaves turn black because basils can’t survive in extremely low temperatures (temperatures below 20°C – 25°C). It does better at room temperature.
Basil leaves are just like every other plant. It’s like biting a piece off your apple and leaving it for a few days. It becomes inconsumable.
Once cut, even if you refrigerate basil leaves, Basil leaves will lose their color.
How to Properly Store Basil Leaves?
There are better ways to preserve your Basil when you don’t want to use it immediately. For example, storing it in a refrigerator doesn’t always work.
How to properly store basil leaves is very simple. You can store your Basil wet or dry.
1. Wet Basil
First, trim the plant’s stems and put them in a water-filled jar. Cover the jar lightly using a plastic bag and leave it at room temperature.
2. Dry Basil
Rinse the Basil and dry it thoroughly. Cut off the stems. Set your oven to the lowest temperature. Bake it for about two to four hours or until it is totally dried and almost crunchy.
Cool the Basil and let it crumble. Store the product in an airtight container for as long as possible.
These two methods are very efficient. Your Basil stays how you left it until you are ready to use it.
Is Basil still good if it turns brown in the Refrigerator?
It’s a painful experience watching your food get spoiled and being unable to do anything about it. The experience is much more painful when you can’t use the food or product to the fullest.
Is Basil still good if it turns brown in the refrigerator? Yes, it’s okay to use Basil which is already brown, but only when it isn’t completely brown, slimy, and smelly.
Even though using partially bad Basil is okay, it’s good you know that it wouldn’t have the same taste and nutritional values a good basil leaf will have.
No one will advise you to consume something that isn’t fresh. So it’s preferable to consume fresh basil leaves.
What to do with Basil that is going bad?
Numerous people don’t believe in wasting food. Such people don’t mind using leaves with a few dark spots. Well, there are a few tricks you can carry out on your spoiling basil.
What to do with Basil that is going bad? You can use your bad basil leaves as dried spices, in sauce, flavoring for sandwiches, and in salads.
1. Dried spices and seasonings
If the basil plant leaves aren’t slimy and don’t smell foul, you can dry them thoroughly for spices.
Pick the leaves from the stem and spread them out. Air-dry them until the leaves are thoroughly dry and frigid.
Crush the leaves and store them in an airtight container. Then, you can use the crushed leaves as a spice for food.
2. Sauce
You can chop browning basil leaves or add them whole into an almost ready sauce. If the basil leaves don’t smell normal, then don’t use them.
Almost spoilt basils will still give flavor to your sauce. If you are compelled to use fresh basils, don’t substitute them for browning basils. Use the fresh basils.
3. Flavoring for sandwiches
You can use basil leaves in place of lettuce in your sandwich. If your Basil is getting bad, no problem. You can use it in a sandwich as long it doesn’t smell bad yet and is still edible.
Even when no longer fresh, Basil leaves give sandwiches a unique flavor. It’s always good to be unique.
Also, it’s easy to consume Basil hidden between bread slices or meat. As long you can’t see it, you don’t get the feeling that you’re eating spoiled food. True right?
4. Salads
You can add chopped browning basil leaves to your salad. The basil leaves give the salad color and flavor. You can cut the leaves into tiny bits and sprinkle them on the salad.
Salads like potato salad, green salad, and beans salad go pretty well will basil leaves, whether browning or fresh. You can also use the basil leaves whole, as long as you wash them properly.
Basil leaves that are browning can be used in numerous other ways. As long as your basil leaves are not entirely spoilt, you can still use them. You don’t have to throw them away.
Furthermore, while using Basil, which is going bad, ensure that leaves still have fragrance. Never use basil leaves that have a horrible smell.
Also, throw them away once they start getting slimy unless. You do not want to treat food poisoning and other consequences of consuming bad basil leaves.
Conclusion
Basils have proven to be very relevant, making it hard to throw them away. If you wish to use your basil leaves for a more extended period, ensure you store them properly.
Note that you should not throw away all basil leaves with black spots. You have learned different ways to use browning basil leaves from this article.
Nevertheless, always check the leaves thoroughly before using them.