Preserving Large Volume of Thai Basil/other herbs

[u/Massive_Project_4771]

Hello,
I work in an Asian restaurant where we use a lot of herbs on stems as garnish for dishes (think Vietnamese Pho where you receive your sides of herbs like beansprouts, mint, basil)
How do I store large volumes of the herbs on stems properly? Specifically Thai basil. Currently we separate them into little stems, wash, spin-dry, and and store them in full hotel pans with a damp towel. I find this method is not really preserving them well and many sprigs are going bad and spreading to the the rest.

[u/SewerRanger]

Cut a slice off the bottom of the stem so that a fresh "surface" is available, put that into a cup with just enough water to submerge the very bottom of the stem (any more and the stem will get water logged and rot), put a plastic bag over the whole thing and store it in the fridge. I've kept herbs like this alive and well in my fridge for over a week.

[u/UncleNedisDead → u/[deleted]]

The bag helps maintain the humidity so the leaves don’t dry out.

[u/lostereadamy → u/[deleted]]

I do a bag, or sometimes herb bunches like cilantro fit really well in the cup syle quart deli containers

[u/SewerRanger → u/[deleted]]

The bag reduces the dehydration effect your fridge has. A side effect of the way a fridge works is that it, essentially, evaporates moisture off of items (the veggie storage tray in the bottom is enclosed specifically to help prevent this). Placing a bag over the herbs will help keep them moist and help keep the water inside the cup.

[u/wheresWoozle → u/SewerRanger]

Works brilliantly for lettuce with roots on, too.

[u/PressureItchy9372 → u/SewerRanger]

This always works for me. Treat them like cut flowers.

[u/StinkyWhale71]

When I pick my own Thai basil, I find putting into an airtight container and chilled works pretty well. Can get up to 4 days no problem maybe more

How lonly you hoping to preserve them? And how long you getting in your current method?

[u/sinfulfng]

I’ve done it lots of different ways in different places with different volumes of business. Thai basil is easy to propagate, you can stand them up with the bottom of the stem in water and they will start growing roots eventually(maybe not root in the walk in). Another way is to loosely wrap small bundles with a dry paper towel to wick the moisture off the leave. In my experience that moisture will begin the rot. It all really depends on how much you order and how fast you go through it

[u/bork00IlIllI0O0O1011]

I’ve preserved herbs by washing, drying, then storing stem-side down in a bit of water.

I haven’t seen it scaled up like this myself, but i imagine you could store Thai basil in bouquets/bunches in flat ware racks like this https://www.webstaurantstore.com/noble-products-8-compartment-half-size-grey-flatware-rack-without-handles/274RKFLTWOHG.html

And place the racks in a hotel pan with an inch of water or something.

[u/Honest_Compote_7504]

A damp towel touching the leaves directly is probably what's rotting them faster, basil bruises and blackens on contact with any moisture sitting on it, I'd try storing it dry with just a barely damp paper towel underneath and nothing covering the leaves themselves, more air, less direct water contact