Saving Basil Seed

I wrote a while back about the frost we had that killed most of our summer crops or what was left of them after the heat and drought of the summer.  Here is what my basil garden looked like after that.

But there is good news.  Even though the basil plants are dead for this year, they still hold the promise of new plants for next year in the seed they have produced.

Each of these plants contains hundreds of seed on the stalks where their flowers were.  Here is a close-up look at some of these stalks.

Getting the seed requires a little effort, but it is definitely worth it.  Each of those flat, round object contains a couple of basil seed.  Here's what you have to do to get them out.  Take a stem between your thumb and finger and strip the seed off.  Put them in a plastic cup or other container.

Then pour a small amount of them onto a piece of paper or other surface that can be picked up and bent into a funnel shape.  I used one of those flexible plastic cutting boards.

Using your fingers, pick them up and grind them by rubbing them between your thumb and fingers.  Do this until they are broken down into a fine powder.

You will begin to see small brownish or black objects fall out of the mixture.  These are the seed they are very small.....smaller than the head of a straight pin.   Here is a close up of some of them.

Now the problem you have is how to get these tiny seed separated from the residue that is left.  Pour the mixture into a shallow container such as a cereal bowl.  Take it outside and gently blow into it while shaking it.  The residue is very fine and light and will blow away leaving the seed behind.  

To store the seed, you should put it in an envelope or zip-lock bag.  I have some small brown envelopes we got somewhere that I put mine in.  Then I store it in the vegetable compartment of my refrigerator until I am ready to plant it in the spring.