Freezing Fresh Basil for Winter!
It’s an annual ritual. The days get a little shorter, the mornings a little cooler, and my basil plants are ready for a final harvest. I always have several bushy basil plants, so that I only have to take a few steps outside my door for a handful of fragrant green leaves. Fresh pestos appear at whim, and you can see how it goes in this New Potato and Pesto Salad.
It’s easy to get attached to my basil plants, and put off the harvest. To garden is to suffer, and change is inevitable. The seasons will move on without me, and if I pretend it’s not happening, I’ll end up waking up to basil blackened by a night with a drop in temperature. It has happened before, when deadlines loomed and some part of me wanted summer to just keep on going.
Harvest Time is Here
For better or worse, this is the year when I am not “too busy” to harvest basil. In fact, we seem to be going through a collective shift from being crazy busy to being a little bit idle, and it can be uncomfortable. Talking to people in different situations, I find that some are replacing their old routines with things like gardening and going for walks, and relishing it, while some are having a harder time with finding a sweet spot.
Every day offers me a lesson in letting go and accepting what is. It’s time to put away my basil.
Drying vs Freezing Basil
Freezing basil the best way to save it. I’ve tried drying it, and it always seems like a waste of good basil. The flavor weakens, and the magic is gone. I’ve developed this method, which is simple, and avoids some of the pitfalls that can befall other methods. Back in the day, it sounded so smart to freeze basil in ice cube trays. But even though Martha said it was best, I noticed that a bag of basil cubes didn’t hold up well as it rattled around my freezer in the ensuing months. The enemy of your basil puree is oxidation, and all those basil cubes had lots of exposed surfaces, and air in the bag between them. After a while, the cubes looked shaggy, and the basil darkened.
I also read up on the effects of freezing pestos with garlic and other ingredients, and learned that those additions caused the puree to go bad sooner in the freezer. So, I came up with my own method of freezing basil.
I hope you’ll watch the video, where all is made clear in my kitchen. The gist of it is that you want to puree your basil with only olive oil, and to pack it in a zip-top bag so that it is completely sealed off from air. Then you can flatten the puree to a thin sheet of basil puree and lay it flat in the freezer. Once it’s solid, you can stack the sheets wherever they fit.
Then, just open the bag and break off a chunk, like these:
I’ll keep on picking from what’s left on my plants, and who knows, we might get a few more weeks of warm nights.
But at least I saved a good stash of basil, and I can savor the flavor of summer all winter long
The Best Way to Save Fresh Basil
Ingredients
- fresh basil
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pick all the leaves from your basil. Place them in a food processor bowl. Process, scraping down as needed, until the basil is minced.
- Drizzle in olive oil with the machine running, just until a paste is produced.
- Scrape the paste into sturdy quart-sized zip-top freezer bags, and flatten into a sheet, about 1/3 inch thick. Label the bag and lay flat in the freezer until solid.
- To use, break off a chunk of the paste and add to pestos, sauces, soups, or anything else that needs a little basil, and a little taste of Summer!
Can I use the same method ,of freezing Basil,for parsley,cilantro ,Dill,mint?
Mary, yes, as long as you plan to use them in a pureed form, it will work really well. Thanks for reading!
Thanks fir the tip!
Try making a paste without oil and freeze it in zip lock bags.
my experience is that it would get freezer burn and dry out without a little something to keep it moist.
Three quick questions please. I’m new to fresh herbs and just got me a lighted growing machine and the herbs are growing so fast I can’t use them fast enough. Here are my questions…
1. Do we keep the stems, shred and use them and if so, which herbs?
2. If I give herbs to neighbors and friends, what is the best way to give cut herbs? In a platic bag with a paper towel in it to collect moisture or inserted in a small glass bottle filled with water.
3. Do I wash my herbs that I grow myself before using?
Mary,
The tender herbs, like basil, cilantro and mint, can have some stem ground in with the leaf to make the paste or pesto. Your method for giving herbs sounds good- do wash, spin dry and roll loosely in paper towels, then put in a plastic bag, or put in a bottle of water.
Trying to find out if basil can be preserved/frozen without using oil. My husband is on a diet that does not allow any oil.
Angela, Yes, you can do it, it might need a little water to puree, and the result will freeze more solidly than with oil.
Thanks for reading!
Thank-you for sharing. Yes I do the same but add pine nuts and freeze in small parcels to use when needed. I share with family and friends. I add the seasoning, garlic and parmesan when I cook the pasta and add when hot, works a treat. Kids love it. I buy my pine nuts in bulk size to save money.
That’s wonderful. I just leave it simple so it can go into spaghetti sauce or soup.
Thank you for this smart space saving method of freezing Basil 🌿 flat!
It really works! Thanks.
Do I wash basil before putting in processor?
wash and spin or pat dry. I’m jealous, my basil if just getting started!
Thanks for the great tip! I’ve put whole leaves in freezer bags but I’ve never like the brown floppy effect once added to my sauce. This method will be my new “keeper”!
It really works, I still have a little from last year, still green and fresh tasting!
May I use another type of oil rather than olive oil?
Certainly, a neutral oil like avocado or canola would work. I just go with olive because the two pair well.
Thanks!
Hi Robin,
Thank you for the Basil freezing tips. I just harvested 12 ounces of basil leaves. 6 ounces I made into pesto, 2 pints. The rest I want to freeze. I’m so glad I watched your video. I will take your advice on freezing. I was going to use the ice cube trays, but not now. Thank you again.
Glad I could help. The time I did it in ice cube trays it was freezer-burned within a few months, and I want it to last longer!
Thanks for the tip on freezing basil. I also use the ‘flat” method with tomato paste. I buy large cans use a tablespoon or so then bag the remainder & freeze flat, breaking off what I need kater for soups,chilis, etc.
It’s good to be able to use little bits!
Do you recommend washing the basil first?
yes!