Harvesting basil for the winter at home: drying and storage. How to freeze basil at home It is better to freeze or dry basil for the winter.

Calories: Not specified
Cooking time: Not indicated

Do you want to know how to freeze basil for the winter so that it does not lose its valuable taste? We offer you two options. The first is to freeze the basil in cubes, and the second is to freeze the basil with whole leaves. We also advise you to find out how, this will also be useful to every housewife.



Ingredients:
- basil;
- refined vegetable oil.

Recipe with photos step by step:

This option is great if the basil will be used to make soups and sauces. For salads, the method described below is better suited. Rinse the basil thoroughly under running cool water, place on a sieve, and let dry. It’s better, of course, if you collect basil from your own garden for freezing. If this is not possible, try to choose fresh, juicy basil. Do not buy one whose leaves have withered and has been lying around for several days. It has already lost its valuable properties.




Place the basil in a glass in which it will be convenient to grind the leaves with a blender. Add some vegetable oil. For 100 grams of basil leaves, 2 tablespoons will be enough.




Grind with a blender. You can turn the basil into puree, or grind it to a paste-like consistency. It's up to you.




Take ice cube trays and fill with basil mixture. You can make cubes of any size, taking into account the fact that the whole cube will need to be used. You can also use baking molds to freeze basil if you need a lot of basil so you don’t have to take several cubes at a time. Place the mold in the freezer for an hour and a half. This time will be enough. Temperature minus 18.






To empty ice cube trays of basil, place the cubes in a bag and seal it tightly. You can store these cubes for up to 10 months in the freezer. Add to soups or other hot dishes five minutes before cooking without defrosting first.
Dry freezing basil
You can freeze basil either as whole sprigs or as individual leaves. Harvest from the garden, or buy good basil at the market. Soak in a bowl of cold water for about an hour. Then rinse thoroughly and place on a paper towel for about half an hour so that all the moisture from the leaves evaporates. You can then freeze basil in three ways:
1) Place it on a cutting board at a distance of a leaf, then put it in the freezer for half an hour, and then pack it into individual bags.
2) Place the basil leaves directly into bags, seal tightly and freeze.
3) You can chop the basil and pack it in bags.
The amount of basil from each bag should be for one use. It can be stored for a year at a temperature of minus 18.

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 contaminants as possible. One hour of “bathing” is enough. Miss Clean 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.

Basil is a well-known aromatic “green” in cooking, used as a salad ingredient, seasoning for meat dishes, sauces, soups, as well as for preservation and pickling. Quite often, housewives began to use the technology of freezing seasonings for future use. Properly frozen basil leaves can be stored for about a year, remaining fragrant without losing their properties. We will try a quick and convenient way to prepare the most fragrant basil for the winter by freezing it in two quick ways.

I grow purple basil in my garden. This variety has a special spicy aroma that my husband really likes. We add the herb to meat or poultry, and also use it to make soups, salads and snacks.

I’ll lightly touch on the sowing and growing of this amazingly bright and tasty seasoning - in case it comes in handy for someone. Basil loves warm soil and full sun. It’s more convenient for me to grow weed in a greenhouse, because I don’t start getting lucky with consistently warm weather until July. I sow the seeds in early June in a large pot. I water it abundantly and then cover it with film until germination. Next, I remove the film and continue watering as needed. When the second leaves appear on the sprouts, I dive into the greenhouse in rows. This is the pretty purple basil I have by mid-July.

Prepare the basil and olive oil. The greens must first be soaked in cold water and then dried naturally. I fill a jar with water. I put a wet bunch of basil in it. In hot weather, after an hour you can start freezing.

Method 1: Freeze basil leaves with olive oil.

We pick leaves from the bushes. Basil stems are not frozen.

Place the leaves in a plastic container. There may be several storage jars, depending on the amount of seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil. Approximately 1 tsp for 1 small container of basil. olive oil. Close the lid. Shake the container. Place in the freezer until winter.

Method.2. Simple freezing.

Basil leaves need to be chopped, but not too much. Place in a medium container or plastic bag. Close or tie, releasing air. Place in the freezer.

As needed, remove frozen basil from the freezer. We use basil with vegetable oil to prepare salads, appetizers and sauces. Chopped basil - for meat dishes and soups. Frozen basil darkens slightly, but does not lose its properties after defrosting. Remains just as fresh and aromatic.

Basil is a savory spice widely used in food. India is considered the birthplace of the plant. Everyone knows that basil not only has a pleasant taste, but also has a lot of beneficial properties. It is a low-calorie product (100 g of basil contains only 23 kcal) and contains essential oil, which has a bactericidal effect. It has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and helps get rid of cough. The plant is consumed fresh, but there are several ways to preserve and prepare basil for the winter for future use.

Benefits of the plant

Basil is a storehouse of useful components. It contains vitamins C, B2, PP and A, sugar, carotene, phytoncides, P-rutin.

In general, basil is a universal plant that can be grown in a personal plot or even on a window in an apartment. The range of its healing effects is very wide. But you shouldn’t overuse it. In addition to its positive qualities, the plant has some contraindications.

1. Pregnant women, regardless of the period, will have to stop eating basil.
2. Doctors recommend that people who have suffered a stroke or heart attack not consume the plant.
3. Diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, early childhood - restrictions on the use of basil.
4. The period of treatment with drugs based on this plant should not exceed 21 days. Otherwise you will get the opposite effect. Instead of benefit, the body will suffer serious harm.

Preparing for future use for the winter

Freezing

Freezing is a convenient and quick option for preparing basil for the winter. The leaves of the plant need to be plucked from the stem and washed with water.

Attention! Never cut basil with a knife.

After they dry, put them in a bag and put them in the freezer. You are provided with delicious aromatic seasoning throughout the winter!

Drying

Drying is the most popular way to prepare basil for the winter. It is preferable to dry the plant in the spring, before it begins to bloom. During this period, basil has a strong aroma, and its stems are not yet so rough.

Advice. Basil varieties with purple leaves are ideal for drying.

The leaves of the plant are separated from the stems and finely chopped. Then start drying. The room in which you leave the workpiece should be warm, and the leaves should be protected from sunlight. The ideal place for drying would be a barn, storage room or attic.

When the basil dries, you need to transfer it to fabric bags. It will breathe in them and will not deteriorate.

Pickling

Another option for preserving basil for the winter is pickling. Salting is carried out as follows:

• rinse and dry basil leaves;
• wash and sterilize jars;
• Place the leaves of the plant tightly in the jars so that the basil releases juice;
• Sprinkle salt between layers of leaves;
• roll up the lid of the jar;
• store at a temperature no higher than 2 degrees (for example, in a refrigerator or basement).

Canning

Canned basil is a delicious dish. The method of its preparation is similar to salting. The leaves are also placed in a jar in dense layers, each of which is sprinkled with salt. But to finish off this recipe, add olive oil right up to the rim of the jar.

On average, for a 250-gram jar you will need: 150 g of plant and 50 g of salt, olive oil - as needed. Basil should be stored in a cool place.

Basil paste for the winter

An interesting way to prepare basil for the winter is to make a paste. Take a bunch of the plant, 50 g of olive oil and salt to taste. Wash the leaves, dry them, put them in a blender bowl or mortar, add salt and olive oil. Of course, it is better to cook in a blender. It's both faster and more convenient.

The output is a green paste. There are two options for closing it.

1. Place in jars and roll up the lids.
2. Freeze in ice cube trays.

Both options can be conveniently added to different dishes later.

Drying, freezing, pickling, canning, and making basil paste are common ways to preserve the medicinal plant for the winter. It is suitable as a spice for meat dishes, sauces, and preparations can also be used to treat certain diseases. The aromatic spice will add an unusual taste to any dish; it is especially pleasant to open a jar of basil in winter and enjoy its oriental notes.

Harvesting basil for the winter: video

Basil preparations: photo

Basil is a very aromatic herb that is added to soups, meat and fish dishes, salads, sauces, baked goods and drinks. Of course, you can buy fresh basil in winter, but it will not have such a rich aroma and taste as harvested in summer. Therefore, it should be prepared for future use by freezing. Basil leaves retain their shape well when frozen. This preparation can be made in two ways: freezing a bunch of basil sprigs or freezing the leaves separately. But I will say from my experience that it is more convenient to freeze in a bunch, since it is very convenient to tear off as many leaves as necessary from frozen basil sprigs. This bouquet of frozen basil is perfect for preparing the aromatic and invigorating drink "Rayhon". Whether you freeze basil in a bunch or in individual leaves is up to you; in any case, you will get an excellent preparation. When frozen, both the color and aroma of basil are preserved. I recommend!

Ingredients

To freeze basil for the winter you will need:
basil - 2 bunches;
plastic containers, freezer bags or plastic bags.

Cooking steps

For freezing, I used purple basil.

Then transfer the basil bunches to a paper or wafer towel. Leave for about 1 hour, turning the bunches over from time to time so that as much water as possible drains from them and they dry well. If necessary, replace the paper or waffle towel with a dry one.

The easiest way to freeze bunches is in a freezer bag. Carefully place sufficiently prepared and dried basil sprigs into bags and zip or tie the bags.

If you decide to freeze the basil leaves separately, then tear the leaves off the stem and wash them. Place the leaves on a paper or waffle towel and let dry completely. Place basil leaves in a plastic container, freezer bag, or plastic bag and seal or seal.

Frozen basil keeps well in the freezer for about a year. Freezing basil is not difficult at all, and in winter this beautiful green will be an excellent addition to many dishes.