so when it came time to plant our garden this spring, i planted quite a bit. 5 square feet or about 16-20 plants. and just as i had hoped, it flourished.
we've been enjoying it all summer long, and now as the summer comes to a close, it's about time i started preserving it for the winter (since that was the whole reason for the ridiculous amount of basil i planted).
so after a brainstorming session with my mom and a bit of internet researching, i came up with 3 possible preservation methods. now there are quite a few more than that, but 3 that seem to fit my purposes.
1. chop and freeze in water
2. chop and freeze in boiling water (to blanch while freezing)
3. chop and freeze in olive oil
so, i plan to try all three methods this year, and then in the future, i can use the one that works best for me.
and just in case you were curious about the process, let me share...
wash...
stack...
roll and slice...
enjoy the yummy basil smell...
pack into ice cube trays and fill with water (or oil)...
and freeze...
let's hope my hard work will pay off mid-winter when i'm craving fresh basil!
Great idea. Hope it works!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. I haven't ever frozen the leaves, but I have managed to preserve some homemade pesto, which freezes very well.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great idea! I also love basil! Keep us posted on how it works.
ReplyDeleteSo I found this post on a blog I occasionally stop by: http://hiphostessblog.com/2010/08/18/basil-infused-olive-oil/ about Basil infused Olive oil you can pour over sun ripened tomatoes (gross) but something I thought you would love!
ReplyDeleteI creeped your blog in return and just laughed at the fact that Sis. Mitchell does this annually as well... You are a strong rep of what alum Y should be. I am probs going to email you soon wth some ?s about orals with NKN :-)
ReplyDelete