[imp]

At season's end for us, I let the basil really flower out and set seeds; then as the seed pods are drying a bit, I uproot the entire plant, if small enough to handle, and stuff it upside down in a brown paper grocery bag.

Our local grocer has the handled paper bags, and these work great since they are good sized enough to get the "crown" of the basil in to the bag ( stems and root sometimes stick out) and I use the handles to hang the bags up for the pods to dry and break open into the bag.

If the bushy end/crown is too big, I whack a lot of it off nearer to the seed pods and drop them loosely into the bag and dry them.

Don't use plastic bags as the plant can get slimy and rot instead of dry.

I even use the bag method to let the leaves dry naturally and slowly and they come out nice for dried basil. This way, I can sort seed/chaff at my timing, and it makes my house smell good, too, when I go by and give the bag a little shake or thump it.

Then I have to go make a sandwich- smelling basil makes me hungry, LOL.