Preserving Basil
From the Kitchen
When the basil has reached a fever pitch in the garden and the space required to dry it is limited, I preserve it in the next best way. I freeze it.
Summer Eleanor loves the abundance that comes out of the garden in the summertime. She equally dreads having to figure out how to preserve it — and the labor that sometimes requires. On the other hand, Winter Eleanor loves and appreciates Summer Eleanor for taking the time to chop, dice and freeze vegetables, because cooking during the other three seasons becomes infinitely easier when fresh, homegrown ingredients are already prepared.
I’ve found that blitzing fresh basil in the food processor and freezing it in ice cube trays with olive oil gives me perfect little cubes to drop into soups, stews and pasta sauces long after the garden has gone to sleep for the winter.
You can store them right in the trays or pop them out once frozen and transfer them to freezer bags. Either way, they’re a simple way to savor summer all year long.
Ingredients
- Fresh basil leaves
- Good quality olive oil
- Ice cube trays (preferably with lids)
Instructions
- Fill the bowl of a food processor with clean, thoroughly dried basil leaves. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Spoon the chopped basil into an ice cube tray, leaving a little room at the top of each compartment for the olive oil.
- Pour olive oil over each portion until the basil is completely submerged.
- Cover and freeze until solid. Once frozen, the cubes can be transferred to freezer bags or left in the covered tray until needed.
- To use: Drop a frozen cube directly into soups, stews, sauces or any dish that could use a little taste of summer.