Time to preserve all that basil you have in the garden! Have the problem of it turning black? Blanche it in salt water. Remove all the leaves (flowers too if you want), get the least amount of stem material in the mix. Boil a pot of salt water, about as salty as the ocean. Have an ice bath next to the boiling pot. Put the basil leaves in the salt water just enough to cover them then INSTANTLY take them out, put them in the ice bath to stop cooking. When they are cool (a few seconds) put them on paper towels and dry them as best you can. The least amount of water the better. Put the leaves in a food processor with the least amount of olive oil possible. Rough chop for cooking or more for pesto. Put the mixture in ice cube trays. It is about 3 ish tablespoons per piece. Freeze them and you will have green basil for later. You might want to cover the trays with plastic wrap. When it is defrosted you can use it for pesto, cooking or? I do not recommend adding parmesan, pine nuts or enough oil to make it pesto. Add all that in so it will be fresh when you use it. Freeze the blanched and chopped basil with the least amount of oil. I have kept mine for a few years this way and some years I so not have to plant basil!
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 22:09:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015