Basil

[Chantenay]

I have a huge crop of basil and I wondered if I make up some pesto, could I then freeze it (all recipes say it will only keep in jar for 2 weeks).
Also does anyone have trustable proportions for the recipe. I have seen loads of recipes, but there does not seem to be any consistency such as "always use same weight of basil and pine nuts and then double the ammount of parmesan"
And finally - is there anything else I can do with basil???

[Chantenay]

[Buster54]

Don't use it myself but found this for you

http://www.basilguide.com/freezing-basil.cfm

[saddad]

Thanks for that.. Buster, we have some 3' of Basil to cut back from the school's greenhouse!  ;D

[grawrc]

Yes indeed! Thanks from me too. A very useful website!

[Chantenay]

Brilliant - just what I needed. Thank you.

[saddad]

Cut one plant down... and got 1lb of leaves!! OMG there are about twenty plants...  ::)

[grawrc]

My indoor plants are currently infested with the tiny white things and the stickiness...  :'( :'(

[asbean]

That's known as "added flavour", Grawrc  :-\ :-\ :-\

[grawrc]

Yeah right!! Next you'll be telling me it's a good source of protein! ;D ;D ;D

[valmarg]

Yeah right!! Next you'll be telling me it's a good source of protein! ;D ;D ;D

Just so long as you're not vegetarian ;D ;D

valmarg

[northener]

My fave at the moment is like a bruschetta. Add a good glug of olive oil to frying pan add 2 chopped garlic cloves and a 10 leaves of chopped basil fry for a few minutes then add little cherry toms and just warm through, serve on toasted ciabata bread delish, i can't stop eating it. oh and put a few uncooked chopped basil before serving.

[littlegem]

you can also just pick off the leaves and freeze in a tub, that's the way my ex's italian mum used to do it and so do I.  then when you want a few basil leaves to put in your passata or on top of pizzas or inside chicken breasts etc you just pick some out of the freezer and use!

[caroline7758]

My indoor plants are currently infested with the tiny white things and the stickiness...  :'( :'(

Yeah, why is it basil always gets that and nothing else does?

[northener]

What Whitefly? Try keeping a few Marigolds nearby.