Can you freeze basil fresh

Transfer the dollops you should have about 16 to a self-sealing, freezer-safe plastic bag and store for up to two months. 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. You can also freeze leaves whole and keep them for up to a year. First, blanch leaves for two seconds in boiling water, then drain and rinse immediately with cold water. Pat leaves dry and store in a large, freezer-safe container, separating each layer with plastic wrap.

I know that sounds somewhat odd, but it will seriously add some flavor to your next saute dish. This is a good method for preserving fresh basil leaves and infusing them in oil. To learn how to freeze fresh basil from the garden, all you have to do is wash the basil leaves thoroughly and combine them into a food processor with your choice of oil.

I prefer olive oil for the taste. Then, process them until they are finely minced. Evenly distribute them into an ice cube mold and top them off with a little bit more oil to cover the leaves—this prevents them from changing color and getting frostbitten. Freeze them overnight and then transfer the cubes into an airtight Ziplock bag. You can use frozen basil leaves in many recipes that call for fresh basil, like Thai basil fried rice.

I like to use oil-infused basil ice cubes in dishes like pesto. You must be logged in to post a comment. June 1, Can you freeze fresh basil? Here's how to do this:. Very dark leaves and very hard to remove - I needed to chip away at it just to remove a bit. The oil didn't seem to help keep color at all. I was actually surprised to learn that this was another of my least favorite methods since it seemed to be so popular. I've read about this method many times and have done a version of it by processing leaves in a food processor, almost like pesto, before adding them to ice cube trays one time in olive oil.

I didn't find these cubes easy to use - they seemed to be a one-shot wonder good for only marinara or pasta sauces and since I usually have this amazing roasted sauce in the freezer, I hardly make it from scratch in the winter.

What I liked about this version again from a comment was the differences:. The leaves kept good color in both the water and broth. Although there is slightly more time involved with cutting and pouring, it's easy to transfer the cubes to baggies and easy to use cubes in soups and stews. This was another WIN for us as I see these cubes being a lot more versatile than smaller cut basil or oil-covered basil. The cubes would even be a way to add basil flavor to curries. I will be preserving the rest of our basil leaves unblanched straight into baggies and I'll make sure to have a few liquid cubes, too, for our favorite winter soups and stews.

I'm happy to have these tested ways to keep the basil flavor all winter- along with lots of pesto , of course. Homemade Pesto with secret, frugal ingredient!

Three Ways to Freeze Corn. Bake until thoroughly dry so you can crumble the leaves. Once crumbled, store in an airtight container. Use in soups and stews and as an ingredient in homemade vinaigrette. This is probably one of the best ways to make use of fresh basil. Having garden-fresh pesto on hand in the freezer can lighten up the doldrums of winter. With the machine running, add about 6 tablespoons olive oil or more as needed until the mixture is smooth, but still somewhat paste-like.

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Spoon the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Use in pasta dishes and in soups or serve as is. Have a question? Contact Susan Selasky noon-3 p. Thursdays at or e-mail sselasky freepress. Follow her SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Use more fresh basil if you like. Preheat oven to degrees. Slice each tomato into 3 equal slices. Place slices between paper towels to absorb some moisture; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, bacon bits, pepper, garlic, basil, marjoram and oregano. Mix well.