Before you start, wash basil in cold water and dry; a salad spinner works well for this step. After you've blanched, chilled, and patted your basil dry, strip the leaves from the stems. The Best Ways to Store and Preserve Cilantro, The Easiest Way to Harvest and Preserve Fresh Grape Leaves, 27 Basil Recipes Featuring the Fresh Summer Herb, 5 Delicious Ways to Cook Stinging Nettles. Place leaves in a … Drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls onto the paper; freeze one hour or until firm. Susan Westmoreland's Favorite Cornbread Recipe, The Home-Organizing Tips You Need to Know. Fortunately, there are other, better ways to preserve it, including freezing. Pour or spoon your basil oil or pesto into freezer bags. First, blanch leaves for two seconds in boiling water, then drain and rinse immediately with cold water. There are several ways to freeze basil. Is your garden overflowing with basil? TELL US: What do you love to cook with fresh basil? Salt also inhibits the growth of microorganisms by drawing water out of microbial cells through osmosis. Add the oil or pesto, cover, and freeze, then pop out the cubes and transfer them to freezer containers (or freezer bags). You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, How to Crimp Pie Crust Like a Professional. Blend the ingredients until it’s pulpy. This shouldn't take more than a few seconds. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Freeze Basil. This will enable you to break off just what you need when you want to use some—but not all—of a bag of frozen herbs. Then, in a food processor, with knife blade attached, puree 2 cups packed leaves with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Salt has been used for centuries to dry and preserve foods. Use in cooking as you would fresh basil leaves, but, cup for cup, frozen leaves are more compact than fresh ones, so use a little less than the recipe calls for. Put in just enough to cover the surface of the bag when it is flat on the counter. Another way to freeze basil is to make Pesto. You can … Once the water is boiling, dip your bunch of basil into it. Like most things, homegrown or homemade dry basil puts store-bought dried basil to absolute shame! Adding fresh herbs and spices to a dish is an easy way to bump up flavor and freshness. As soon as the basil has wilted, immediately transfer it to the ice water. Can You Guess Your State's Most Distinctive Food ? Consider potting up small plants and growing them indoors so you can still use some occasional fresh basil leaves, and then get busy harvesting the rest and preserving basil leaves with one of the easy methods below. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pat leaves dry and store in a large, freezer-safe container, separating each layer with plastic wrap. You can also freeze leaves whole and keep them for up to a year. However, if you stick a bunch of fresh basil into the freezer, it will be discolored and mushy when it thaws. If you'd rather have pre-measured portions, use small containers—or better yet, an ice cube tray. To use in a recipe, stir in a frozen dollop when you're almost finished cooking the soup, chicken or beef stew, or spaghetti sauce. This is because the enzymes that decompose fresh plant material can survive freezing temperatures and work on the food even while it is in the freezer. Fresh basil is one of the tastiest and most useful herbs, but it doesn't keep its color and flavor well when dried. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Basil is an ingredient found in so many of our favorite foods, and knowing how to keep basil fresh allows us to enjoy this sweet, earthy herb in various ways. Preserve that bumper crop for summer-fresh flavor no matter the season. One of the easiest ways to preserve basil is to freeze the basil leaves. Place in the freezer this way (horizontal). Here’s how to freeze basil correctly: Remove the stems from the basil leaves. Why trust us? That said, one of the most simple and easy ways to preserve fresh basil is to dehydrate it. Have a big bowl of ice water ready. Preserving basil in the freezer means you can make homemade pesto anytime, even in the winter. Before you start, wash basil in cold water and dry; a salad spinner works well for this step. To freeze your basil, pull leaves from stems. To blanch fresh basil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Tip: spread the leaves thinly in the bags and store flat. Choose a method that works best for you and how you use basil when cooking. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. What you'll end up with is a pesto "pancake" from which you can break off just what you need. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay –LyubovKardakova) By freezing basil as purée instead of whole leaves, you can easily use it for cooking later. Put them in a blender or food processor and puree, adding enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, somewhat liquid paste. Once the water is boiling, dip your bunch of basil into it just until the basil wilts. You can dry it or freeze it, but freezing retains the fresh taste better. Strip the leaves from the stems and transfer to freezer bags and freeze. Freeze Basil Leaves. Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food. To make fresh basil pesto ready for the freezer all you need is a blender or food processor, the fresh basil, olive oil and salt. NEXT: 10 Recipes That Will Use Up That Leftover Basil », The Best 25 Christmas Decorations You Can Buy, 40 Gifts That Are Sure to Warm Grandma's Heart, 40 Gorgeous Gifts for the Best Sister Ever. Then transfer the mixture into small freezer safe containers, be … As with all recipes to freeze fresh basil, begin by washing leaves and removing any long stems that may be on it. The solution is to blanch the basil before freezing as blanching kills off those decomposing enzymes. Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. Have a big bowl of ice water ready. Remove any black or bad spots as well. It pulls out the moisture from herb leaves and preserves the original flavor. Freeze Basil in Oil – Fellow Professional Home Economist Mairlyn Smith shows you how she freezes basil by chopping it and mixing with oil.. This eliminates the residual heat that would otherwise continue cooking the basil. Pat the blanched basil dry. You can dry it or freeze it, but freezing retains the fresh taste better. Transfer the dollops (you should have about 16) to a self-sealing, freezer-safe plastic bag and store for up to two months. Each cube will be approximately 1 tablespoon of basil oil or pesto. Fresh basil is a highlight of the summer garden, but once the temperatures dip in fall, you need to act fast if you want to keep enjoying basil into the winter. This article will show you how to dry basil two ways: either using a food dehydrator or in the oven. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. How to Preserve Fresh Basil in Salt. Or simply use the blanched leaves to make your favorite pesto recipe before freezing.
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