Question: What To Do With My Beautiful Basil Plants?
August 8, 2010
My basil plants are growing like crazy, and I'm only using it one handfull at a time. I read somewhere that you can cut basil leaves and freeze them in ice cube trays. Then defrost as you need them for super fresh basil later in the year when the plants are dormant. Does anyone know if this is so? Or a better way to keep fresh basil year round? Thanks
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August 8, 2010
Yes it is true. Just chop it really fine and put in ice cube trays and then in freezer and presto you have basil cubes.
I have done this many times before.
August 8, 2010
Yes- Trader Joes even sells it this way. It's a great way to preserve your summer herbs.
I also make pestos to freeze- they are great to pull out mid-winter to add to a simple tomato soup, spread onto a pizza or add to a butter to baste chicken or steak or spread on french bread.
August 12, 2010
What if find even more useful is to puree the basil with some olive oil, then freeze either into cubes in ice cube trays that you later transfer to zip-lock bags, or just freeze in containers. the olive oil help it retain the green color, and also keeps it from freezing completely, so you can scoop out a spoonful to stir into soups or sauces all winter long.
If your usual use for the basil will be pesto, make your usual recipe, omitting the garlic and the cheese, and freeze it. Defrost and add the fresh garlic and cheese then, It will taste like an august night!
August 12, 2010
Yes this is how I preserve my Basil, In a blender put in the Basil and a little water and olive oil to form a puree, then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. I then put the Basil Cubes into freezer bags. This way you will always have fresh Basil at hand.
Saute either chicken breast or boneless pork loin chops, then add some shallots or onion to tender, deglaze the pan with white wine, add some broth and reduce add some chopped tomato or different colored cherry tomatoes, the Basil Cubes and some heavy cream reduce and serve over your meat.
There is nothing to it and so very easy, now I do not waste all of that money buying fresh basil at the market for one particular recipe and having the leftovers spoil in the fridge.
Bon Apetit
August 14, 2010
Use it with tea .Use as a herb in sandwich.It is antiseptic and religius plant in India
Gve me smethg :)
September 11, 2010
Also, to keep your basil producing toward the end of the season, be sure to clip off its flowers as soon as they emerge. Once the plant flowers and goes into seed, it will die quickly, as it's an annual. But you can trick it into extending its season by clipping the flowers.