Guest guest Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Freezing Basil and Other Herbs As for basil, it’s a little tricky. While it’s not uncommon to find dried basil in the grocery store, it’s commonly agreed among chefs and other culinary experts that dried basil just isn’t the way to go. To preserve basil’s unique summery flavor, it’s best to puree fresh leaves in oil and then freeze it. The process is rather simple but a little more time consuming than drying. To make this worthwhile, be sure to have several cups of fresh basil leaves to start with as it yields small quantities of puree. Again to start, gently (very gently as it bruises easily) wash the basil and shake off the water. Remove the leaves from the stems and roughly chop. Place in a blender with a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and pulse. If a puree doesn’t begin to form, add a little more oil, about a teaspoon at a time until a smooth puree comes together. You don’t want to add any more oil than necessary so as to keep the basil flavor as potent as possible. To freeze, I like to fill an empty ice cube tray with the puree so I have individual cubes that are just the right size for tossing into the soup or sauce pot. You can also freeze the puree in one air-tight container and thaw it as you need each time. If you are using the ice cube tray method, wait until basil cubes are solid and then remove from tray and immediately place in a ziplock freezer bag and return to the freezer. Ta-da! Instant summery basil flavor in the middle of winter! Diana Palmarosa Hand Crafts palmarosa.etsy.com confessionsofacraftaholic.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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