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Hello everyone! Is it ok to freeze basil? Any favorite methods?

Thanks ;D,

Love Palefire

xxx

Correction - Totally mis-read that. Thought you said herbs!! But here's what I said.

Yes, indeed!
We always have chopped Parsley, even tho' we have it in the garden. Thyme - if you freeze it for 2 hrs, all the leaves fall off ready for chopping. Tarragon. Spring onion tops for cooking, rather than salads. Rosemary - but that we have growing. Lemon Grass. Horseradish. Ginger.
I reckon that Basil and Mint are the least suited.
Some folk like to freeze them  in ice cubes. Like we always have white wine in cubes for sauces etc. Stick to a pot for them?
Do label things well! = Tim

I freeze basil, just as it is, then when required, quickly crumble it in  DP (doesn't taste as good as the fresh, but better than dried!)

Yup, I freeze it when I have a soooper glut, it isn't great as Doris says, but it is okay.  I just lay the leaves out on a tray, freeze, then bung them all in a bag.  This year tho, I brought my basil plants in from the greenhouse and have them in my conservatory and they are growing like the clappers so I am picking constantly.  My nan did the same and keeps hers in her kitchen, and she can't keep up with the growth it makes.  I guess one way of using it is make your own pesto sauce, mind you, don't suppose you have your own pine nuts growing....  ;D

- did 5 in a gro-bag in the cold house this year - great - about 18" tall despite pinching out. Can't grow it in the open.

Funny isn't it? With all-year-round toms now, we expect ayr basil!! = Tim

Thanks Guys (and Gals!). It is a shop bought plant that I haven't picked from recently and it is starting to age. I don't have a great need for it at the moment, so I wanted to pick off the growth and freeze it as I don't want to just cob the plant. It is doing relly well on the kitchen window sill. I'll only be using it for flavouring, so I think I'll freeze the leaves and crumble in as required.

Love, Palefire

xxx

Sue, I don't know when I last bothered to try to grow basil(without a g/house)..always buy the 'growing herbs' and split the container into 2/3  and they go great guns...try to keep them producing in the kitchen, but there comes a time when it's 'goodbye'; they've given really great value from one 69p pot (bought at reduced price :D)..I've had a go at the old pestle-&mortar trick & put them in oil & kept them in the fridge for a while - up to 2 wks? (and not got sick) & also put them under white wine vinegar? and frozen them..honestly, tho, for 69p prefer to buy the fresh stuff & it's always available at my local Co-Op. Cheers, Lish

Hi Lish - nice to see you again. Yes, it's available at my local shop, but I felt a bit wasteful looking at the plant the other day and wondered about how to keep it without trying out any involved drying techniques! I don't really use much, just bought it for the tomato soup earlier in the year, but I do make spag bog and lasagnes, so it will come in for those.

Love, Palefire

xxx

Hi Palefire - a salad from a beach restaurant in Senegal.

Sliced ripe tomatoes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a good quantity of basil, drizzle with olive oil.  Why spoil a good salad by serving alongside anything else?

(But it is gorgeous with a macaroni cheese - and just about anything else, from a couple of slices of brown bread upwards)

Basil never last long enough in my house to be dried!

All best - Gavin

Palefire

Try some Thai recipes, you can decimate a large plant in two evenings!!

Thai basil chicken for example.