How to Harvest Basil Leaves

To a cook, there are few things as pleasant as a nice patch of basil growing in a garden or on a sill. Basil's pleasant aroma and rich flavor make it a key ingredient in recipes the world over. And basil is as easy to harvest as it is to grow. If your basil grows outside, the best time to harvest is at the start of a sunny day, just after the dew dries from the leaves. Indoor basil can be picked any time.

Things You'll Need

• Rag
• Rubbing alcohol
• Pruning shears

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Wipe down your pruning shears' blades with rubbing alcohol to sterilize them.

   • 2

     Hold a basil leaf steady between a thumb and a forefinger.

   • 3

     Make a pruning cut on the basil leaf's stem, 1/4 inch above the node. The node is the swollen tissue at the base of the basil leaf's stem where it connects to the main stem.

   • 4

     Never prune more than 25 percent of the basil's leaves at one time. Leave the bottom four to six leaves on the plant or it will not grow back.