Freezing Fresh Basil ~ Whole Leaf
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Fresh basil’s a herb that’s easy to grow, especially in the warmer weather. So I grow plenty to freeze for later when the weather gets cold again.
My garden is overflowing with fresh basil. I love freezing the excess so we can enjoy our homegrown basil in the cold months too. It’s easy to do. Today I’m sharing one way to preserve your fresh basil in your freezer.
For this method you’ll need:
• fresh basil leaves
• pot of boiling water
• bowl of ice water
• cookie sheet(s)
• paper towel/towels
• slotted spoon
• storage container
Basil is a beautiful plant and it smells wonderful.
Remove all the leaves from the plant stems and rinse them clean with cold water.
Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove top, Carefully add the basil leaves. Blanch for 5 – 10 seconds.
Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water to chill quickly to stop the cooking action.
Now this is the tedious part. Separate the leaves and lay flat on a cloth or paper towel and pat dry.
Lay them out on a cookie sheet(s). I used two pans. Put the cookie sheet(s) in the freezer to flash freeze the basil leaves.
When they are frozen remove the leaves and put them into a bag or container. You can keep them in the freezer for several months. They separate easily so you can use them in your recipes.
Now you can have your own basil to season your sauces all winter. A real money saver. 🙂
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