Whether you're able to grow your own or you have to buy it at Metro like me, basil and other herbs tend to be rather seasonal. However, some of my favorite soups and Italian sauces call for fresh basil and we love eating those things more in the fall and winter months. So for the past couple summers I've been freezing the fresh basil I buy at Metro so that I can use it through the winter. Its a really simple process and I think it would work fine for any leafy herbs. It still gives a much fresher, stronger flavor than dried spices, even though the leaves have been frozen.
Freezing Basil
Buy or harvest a bunch of basil leaves. I unpackaged these and washed them well. Remove all leaves from stems.
Place leaves in a food processor. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and pulse until chopped small. Add extra olive oil if necessary. I maybe used a total of 1 Tablespoon of oil for the entire 3 bags worth of leaves I chopped.
Once the leaves reach desired size, you can put into containers to freeze.
I measure mine by the Tablespoon full into ice trays and freeze them as cubes. Once frozen I pop them out into a bag and throw them back in the freezer. The 3 bags of leaves made 14 (well-packed) cubes for me. You can then use them as called for in recipes.
I love putting this basil in the following recipes through the cooler months. In some recipes, like Cream of Tomato Soup, I'll usually just put in a half of a cube.
Freezing Basil
Buy or harvest a bunch of basil leaves. I unpackaged these and washed them well. Remove all leaves from stems.
Place leaves in a food processor. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and pulse until chopped small. Add extra olive oil if necessary. I maybe used a total of 1 Tablespoon of oil for the entire 3 bags worth of leaves I chopped.
Once the leaves reach desired size, you can put into containers to freeze.
I measure mine by the Tablespoon full into ice trays and freeze them as cubes. Once frozen I pop them out into a bag and throw them back in the freezer. The 3 bags of leaves made 14 (well-packed) cubes for me. You can then use them as called for in recipes.
I love putting this basil in the following recipes through the cooler months. In some recipes, like Cream of Tomato Soup, I'll usually just put in a half of a cube.
- Baked Ziti
- Marinara Sauce
- Cream of Tomato Soup
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Italian Chicken Chowder
- Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Chicken
I totally did this today with my boys. :) Something easy and quick kids can help with in the kitchen! They helped me pull leaves off.
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