If they're still in
flower at all, it's a little too early to gather the
seeds.
Even if the color is starting to fade, I don't think the
seeds are done forming
or whatever it is they need to do before they would naturally fall from the pods.
Wait until the little pods are brown (& fairly dry, although they still might feel a bit moist) before you harvest them.
I'm glad to hear that you had a good crop this year!
... The smell of fresh Basil can't be beat, & I can't imagine having a garden without it!
Oh... If you find a way to smish the teeny-weenie
seeds out of the itty-bitty dried hulls without grinding the prints off your fingertips, please let me know! Every year my fingers get sooo sore from separating the
seeds out while I prepare
seed packets to send to other people, & I'm really thinking about just filling the packets all the way full with the hulls, so they can get the
seeds out, themselves!
Good luck with your harvest, & don't be too impatient, because frost won't hurt them.