4 ways to freeze basil for the winter: preserving the taste and benefits

Fresh herbs all year round - it's real! Try freezing basil for the winter: this aromatic food addition will brighten up your winter menu. We offer 4 recipes for all occasions.

Method 1 - whole leaves

Basil from the market or your own garden can be stored frozen for up to a year, just before the new harvest.

How to freeze whole leaves:

1. Freshly picked leaves should be washed thoroughly. Many housewives recommend soaking basil for a short time so that the water draws out as much dirt as possible from it. One hour of “bathing” is enough. purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine recommends changing the rinsing water 2-3 times.
2. Now the branches need to be dried. Place them on a tray in an even layer, turning them over periodically. You should not dry it at elevated temperatures, otherwise the basil will become fragile and will only be suitable for further drying for seasoning.
3. Dried basil sometimes looks a little limp, but that's okay. Just put them in bags and tie them tightly.
4. It is better to freeze fragile basil leaves in containers, placing them loosely. This way they won’t break and will look beautiful in the salad.
5. If you prefer bags, take two layers so that the bright aroma of greens does not affect the neighboring products in the chamber. This measure will also protect the basil itself from the penetration of foreign odors.
6. Be prepared that the greens will darken a little during storage. But if you did everything correctly, then it will remain just as fragrant and healthy.

Advice
Basil cuttings should not be woody! Use only soft herbaceous ones, or do without these parts altogether. Cut leaves from the main branch using scissors. By the way, it is also more convenient to chop leaves with scissors.

Method 2 - chopped basil

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking, then take care of the green seasoning in advance: just chop the basil leaves before storing it in the freezer.

1. Prepare the greens as in the first method. Make sure the basil is completely dry.
2. Cut the leaves in any convenient way, but do not overly chop them.
3. Distribute into small bags, tie them as tightly as possible so that less air remains.

Advice
A day after placing the basil in the freezer, remove the bag, shake it slightly and return it to its place. Then the greens will not become crumpled.

Method 3 - with olive oil

Some housewives complain that basil frozen whole becomes ugly and loses its shape. There is a simple way out - make a puree from it with the addition of butter. Among the vegetable groups, the most popular are olive, sunflower and corn. Try not to use oils that are sensitive to low temperatures.

Basil puree with oil is ideal for dressing salads, as a flavorful dressing for soup, for frying, for mashed potatoes, meat and fish dishes, and even for marinade.

How to cook, recipe:

1. Rinse the leaves, dry them on a waffle towel or using a hand centrifuge.
2. Grind with a blender to a paste.
3. Add about 1 tbsp per glass of greens. l. vegetable oil.
4. Puree the mixture again for a few seconds, or simply stir with a spoon.
5. Distribute into portioned ice or baking trays.
6. Send for storage wrapped in two bags.

Advice
Use silicone molds - they are the most convenient for squeezing out portions of greens. From metal and plastic, you will have to pick up the freeze with a knife.

A little trick: in order not to remove the form with the preparation every time, a day after placing it in the chamber, take out the basil, free the portions and pack them in separate bags.

Method 4 - with butter

Butter is also used as a dressing. Take a product with animal fats, as spreads and mixtures with vegetable oils do not melt well and affect the taste of the products. By the way, you can add salt to the basil dressing.

Recipe:

1. Melt the butter over low heat until it boils.
2. Wash, dry and chop the basil leaves in any convenient way.
3. Mix with butter and pour into ice cube trays or use small plastic containers.

You can prepare supplements from both purple and green types of basil. Both are very aromatic and full of vitamins.

Finally

These were the four easiest ways to prepare delicious basil, but the housewives’ ideas don’t stop there. Some people freeze crushed leaves in water to make ice cubes. Another recipe uses meat broth instead of water. A popular method is pre-blanching. To do this, the basil is peeled and lightly doused with boiling water.

Thawing basil is as easy as freezing recipes. If you are cooking on the stove, then simply add a cube of greens to the dish.To dress a salad with whole leaves, long defrosting is also not required.

Remember that the longer basil is stored, the less vitamins it contains. Try to use the preparations before spring, and soon a new harvest of early greens will appear.