Chef Forum banner

Why does my fresh basil turn black?

154K views 35 replies 28 participants last post by  leemcb 
#1 ·
Why does my fresh basil turn black?

I pick it from the garden, rinse it, chop it and by the time I put it on the plate it has turned black on the edges where it was cut.

How can I prevent that?
 
#2 ·
Respect your Basil!!!
Be very gentle with it, it bruises so easy. Basil doesn't actually chop, as it bruises in the process. That's why you take the whole leaves, stack them, roll them up and use the sharpest, thinnest knife you have and slice the little basil rolls as thin as possible. They still will look dark green black, but it somehow seems more acceptable.
 
#3 ·
I agree nowIamone, Basil need to be used at the very last minute and used as above or torn, never bruised and never chopped and left for a while till you you need it.
When making a tomato sauce, always add the basil after you turn off the heat just before service.
 
#4 ·
Your basil is turning black because it is oxidiizing, same as with an apple or potato. Even by rtaring the leaves the exposed new surfaces will go black becasue they are exposed to the air around them--same as with a fresh cut apple.

You can't prevent this but you can slow it down, here's an old trick I picked up: Coat/drizzle the basil leaves with oil, now stack them up and roll them up a'la cigarette style, now slice them up. The knife blade becomes coated with oil and as it cuts, it coats the fresh cut with oil. The oil provides a barrier so the air can't get at the cut and turn it black.
 
#10 ·
There is also a technique called the "backslice" which is kind of like a reverse slicing motion with the knife. Don't know why, but it seems to help the oxidation as well...and like stated earlier, use a very very sharp knife. Don't push on the basil, just easily glide the knife across the board and the herb.
 
#11 ·
Foodpump, coating your basil leaves with oil is a great idea. Now I have an experimental sort of question I'd like to run by you. I've heard of coating your sliced apples with lemon juice in order to keep them from turning brown. Would lemon juice work on basil, as well? As much as I love basil (it's one of my favorite herbs), I don't grow them at home and thus never had a chance to try and see how my idea would work out.

Questionably,
Chef Ladybug.
 
#12 ·
I am not foodpump, but I think I can help you. Stick with the oil, and not the lemon juice, YES, it works awesome on apples and pairs and suck, but thats cuz they have much more acidic enzymes in them than basil, so, although ive never tried it, and it may work stop the oxidation, it will alter the herb.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, so do I. I had noticed that the basil we buy from Trader Joe's comes in a plastic "clam shell" to go container lasts much longer in the fridge than any other method of storing.

One other thing, if you are making pesto, blanching the basil for a minute or so first will keep the pesto nice and green longer.

Jock
 
#18 ·
freezing your basil will make it go black too, when we go shopping as a family and it's -40 outside i put my basil under my coat to keep it warm till i get in the vehicle or it goes black. but i did hear something about possibly blanching it first then freezing it but i've never tried it but it would make sense like blanching veggies before freezing so they don't go mushy when thawed. has anyone else heard or tried that?
 
#19 · (Edited)
I was just wondering if just after you chopped your basil w/oil on the leaves and knife, then immediately put it into a container, add just enough oil to cover (I would use olive), then popped it into the freezer...if it would keep a bit longer? I will buy some fresh basil to make a dish, then for whatever reason, something comes up, the meal doesn't get made, and it sits in the fridge for a week, now it's black, and I'm mad at myself for having wasted my herbs. I know I should have made it the next nite, but, I wasn't in the mood then! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif ... I know, I'm workin' on it.
 
#20 ·
I belong to a CSA and I get fresh basil, picked almost the same day. I use it immediately!!! Today I was shocked to find it turning black as it simmered with onion in preparation for fresh tomato soup. I knew that storing it in the refrigerator turns it black, but I did not think it would turn black as it cooked.  Is this normal?
 
#21 ·
This is a great idea food pump. What we used to do before service was simply chiffonade our basil then cover it with a moist paper towel. Unless you cut it right when you need it, it is nearly impossible to avoid the oxidation.

Your basil is turning black because it is oxidiizing, same as with an apple or potato. Even by rtaring the leaves the exposed new surfaces will go black becasue they are exposed to the air around them--same as with a fresh cut apple.

You can't prevent this but you can slow it down, here's an old trick I picked up: Coat/drizzle the basil leaves with oil, now stack them up and roll them up a'la cigarette style, now slice them up. The knife blade becomes coated with oil and as it cuts, it coats the fresh cut with oil. The oil provides a barrier so the air can't get at the cut and turn it black.
 
#22 ·
I recently put up a bunch of basil by running it through the blender with just enough water to make the machine run properly. This slurry was poured into ice-cube trays and frozen. Once hard they basil cubes were popped out and stored in a zipper bag.

So far there has been no darkening of the cubes. But if they're going to turn black I would expect them to do so when they defrost. The questions will be 1. Does that happen (it might not because, being surrounded by water, oxidation may be eliminated) when they merely deforst? and, 2. Will they turn black if added directly to a soup, stew, or other dish being cooked.

I'll monitor this and let y'all know what happens.
 
#23 · (Edited)
just my 5 cents worth...i try not to chop fresh basil, i tear it by hand into a dish or a salad... doesn't seem to blacken as quickly and i like the whole experience of handling/smelling it while doing so ..more of a  grassroots experience, i guess..it's really 'hands on'... fresh thyme as well...pain in the buttski, but well worth the pleasure.....if there is an over abundance of basil, sometimes i just process it in an fp with a bit of oil, and freeze, and then sometime in the dark days of december/january, i pull it out and make pesto or whatever...usually a nice reminicence of the summer  lost gone..

joey
 
#24 ·
I belong to a CSA and I get fresh basil, picked almost the same day. I use it immediately!!! Today I was shocked to find it turning black as it simmered with onion in preparation for fresh tomato soup. I knew that storing it in the refrigerator turns it black, but I did not think it would turn black as it cooked. Is this normal?
Here's the thing. Basil is the last ingredient to hit the pot, somewhere in between turning off the stove and serving the soup. If you put it in the beginning as you did here not only will it curl up and die on you but it loses all its flavor. Delicate herbs like basil, dill, and even parsley are always put in the end because as soon as the heat hits them that's when they release their aroma.
 
#25 ·
I also like taking my basil and making fresh pesto and then freezing it. Pre-made pesto is very expensive. KYH let me know how the ice cube trick works I am really curious how that will impact the flavor. It should be fine (just like flash frozen fresh seafood retains a lot of it's original flavor) but I want to hear how it came out for you.
 
#26 ·
I'm anxious to find out myself, Nicko.

Freezing pesto that way has always worked well. But in that case we're coating everything with oil.

Maybe I'll experiement with the frozen-in-water cubes sooner than expected. I had hoped to wait until after frost had wiped out my basil plants. But inquiring minds do want to know.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top