Basil in season in Australia
Basil is in season in Australia from September to June, and at its peak from December to March. This is the cooler south; the tropical north has its own calendar.
At its best
The warm months. Basil can be grown across Australia all year, but cold winters in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia make it harder, so growers there often use greenhouses.
At the shop
Crush a leaf near your nose, as it should smell strongly. Shake the bunch upside down: if leaves fall off, it has been sitting too long. Smaller, thinner bunches are a better bet than the biggest ones.
Keeping it
Keep it out of the fridge, where the cold can shock it and burn the leaves. Stand the stems in a bowl or glass of water on the bench, under a loose plastic cover, for up to a week. To save a surplus, strip the leaves and freeze them in an ice cube tray in water or oil.
Three dinners
- Margherita pizza Tear the leaves by hand and scatter on after baking.
- Spaghetti with raw tomato and basil Tomato, garlic and olive oil, with nothing cooked beyond the pasta.
- Pesto gnocchi with green beans Pound basil, nuts, parmesan and oil, then toss through.
How we decide. Each item carries a score from 0 to 20 for every month of the year. We call 16 or more “at its peak” and 8 to 15 “around”. The scores were checked against Australian growers’ bodies, state government pages and the Sydney and Melbourne markets, and last reviewed on 9 October 2026. Seasons shift a few weeks with the weather and the state, so treat the edges as guides. Spotted something wrong? Tell us at [email protected].
General information only. These guides are not advice about how you should prepare, store or eat any food. Please follow the packaging and the official food-safety guidance from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and your state or territory food authority.