Can I Freeze Basil Leaves Whole

You can keep them in the freezer for several months.

Can i freeze basil leaves whole. Once frozen flash freezing is done you can take the tray out of the freezer. Place basil into a colander that will fit into the pot you will use for boiling water. 15 ml so it takes the guesswork out of your recipes when you are making sauces and soups. The leaves will turn dark after they freeze but they will still be flavorful.

Scoop the resulting mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. If you do choose to clip whole stems you ll want to pick off all the leaves and then compost the woody stems. When they are frozen remove the leaves and put them into a bag or container. Freeze until firm and place in labeled freezer bags or use ice cube trays with covers and store them in the trays.

Preserving basil leaves whole or blanched is an easy way to freeze basil as well. I tend to clip whole stems from my basil plants but you could also just pick individual leaves. That means they are great used in recipes but they don t work well for garnishes. Transfer the leaves to an ice bath.

Dry completely and store in a freezer safe container separating the layers with wax or parchment paper. Place the leaves individually on a cookie sheet or a tray and put it into the freezer for a few hours to quickly freeze the leaves. Ice cube trays work very well for frozen basil. How to freeze basil first up you gotta do some picking.

The leaves kept good color in both the water and broth. Cooking dinner shouldn t be complicated. This will keep the basil from turning black in the freezer. Add either water or broth to cover leaves.

Frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs. Divide among ice cube tray sections. Although there is slightly more time involved with cutting and pouring it s easy to transfer the cubes to baggies and easy to use cubes in soups and stews. Each cube is about 1 tbsp.

Freezing works well for basil chives oregano lemon balm mint or tarragon. Freeze whole or hand chopped basil leaves quickly by placing them in water in ice cube trays. It does require just a bit more prep work than flash freezing. The leaves should endure the process of freezing and thawing better than without it.

Chop and freeze use a food processor to coarsely chop washed basil leaves. Once frozen the leaves can be transferred to a freezer bag get as much air out of the bag as possible and stored for about 6 months. To preserve some of the appealing green color when freezing whole leaves steam them pat dry and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put the cookie sheet s in the freezer to flash freeze the basil leaves.

How to freeze basil. Wash dry slice basil leaves. They separate easily so you can use them in your recipes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pulse to lightly coat the leaves with oil.

Of course wash your basil leaves with cold water no need to dry it.