How to freeze basil for the winter at home in the freezer. Freezing Basil Leaves Is it possible to freeze fresh basil?

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. 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.

For this It is important to follow a few simple rules:

1. the process of pruning branches should be carried out only in dry weather, preferably in the morning, as soon as the dew has dried;
2. to get a delicate and juicy taste, you need to collect greens from those bushes on which flower buds have not blossomed;
3. You need to cut the branches to a maximum of 15 centimeters - it is in these areas that the most useful and tender leaves grow;
4. Pruning should be done twice a month - this way you can get young leaves and make a spreading bush.

The most suitable varieties for long-term storage:

However, it is worth noting that other varieties of basil have the ability to be stored for a long time, but with careful adherence to the technique.

The collected plant needs:

1. rinse gently under running water;
2. place in a colander until all the water has drained;
3. then place the greens on a paper or cloth towel in a thin layer until completely dry.

If there are dry, yellowed or damaged leaves on the branches, you must get rid of them.

How to keep it fresh?

There are two options.

• The first one is in the refrigerator. The prepared greens are placed in a plastic bag, closed tightly and placed in the fruit compartment.

  In this form, the plant can be stored for a week.

• The second is in water at room temperature. Place the basil in a container with water. This container can be placed in any convenient place. It is necessary to periodically spray the greens and add evaporating water. In this way, it will be possible to preserve fresh greens for three days.

In both the first and second cases, all the beneficial properties of greenery are preserved.

How to prepare for the winter at home?

For any storage method, you cannot use metal containers, since the greens will react with the surface of the container into an oxidation reaction and spoil.

Plastic is also not suitable for storage, since such containers are often made from low-quality materials, and this fact can ruin the whole taste. The most suitable options are ceramics or glass.

Can it be frozen?

Let's look at how to freeze a plant in a special freezer or refrigerator freezer.

1. Cut the prepared basil into the necessary pieces.
2. Place the greens in a bag or plastic container and close tightly so that no air can escape.
3. Place all this in the freezer, where you can store the plant throughout the year.

In this case, almost all nutritional elements will be preserved, and vitamins will suffer only slightly.

There is a second way of freezing.

1. To do this, the leaves need to be cut as small as possible and placed in ice trays, filled with water.
2. As soon as the cubes are well frozen, they need to be removed from the mold and placed in a regular plastic bag.
3. These cubes can be stored for a long time – up to a year.

This basil is often used in hot dishes, especially in soups, stews, and roasts.

We invite you to watch a video about another way to freeze basil:

Drying

In order to harvest basil in this way, no special storage conditions are required.

1. Separate the leaf blades from the stems and chop them.
2. After this, the greens must be spread in one thin layer on a dry paper towel and placed in a well-ventilated area.
3. The plant must be stirred twice a day to prevent it from caking. It is not worth bringing the foliage to the point where it begins to crumble. You just have to wait until it breaks into large pieces.
4. Place the finished basil in a glass container, closing it tightly.

In this form, the plants are stored for three months. You can add dried basil to liquid and stewed dishes..

We invite you to watch a video about drying basil:

Pickling

Place the container with the plant in a cool, dry place. In this form, greens can be stored for a long time - about 6 months. You can use such a plant in the same way as a fresh one in any dishes according to your taste preferences. The advantage of this storage method is that all the benefits of basil are preserved.

In olive oil

1. Basil leaves should be placed in any container and sprinkled with salt, shake well.
2. Olive oil must be poured into the container so that it covers all the greens.
3. Close the container tightly. In this form, basil will last for 3-4 months.

Both the oil and the leaf plates themselves can be used both in hot dishes and in salads. Vitamins and beneficial elements do not disappear with this storage method.

We invite you to watch a video about preparing basil with olive oil:

Conservation

Vinegar is considered an excellent preservative.

1. You need to pour a quarter cup of basil into the container.
2. Then pour 400 ml of red or white wine (or the same amount of regular apple cider vinegar) into the container.

The plant should stand for a month in a dark, cool room.

You can use not only the leaves themselves, but also vinegar. It is enough to strain the liquid and add it to any salads as a dressing.

Nutrients are retained in minimal quantities during preservation.

Preparation in the form of pesto

To prepare this sauce you will need the following ingredients:

• basil (4 parts);
• olive oil (1 tsp);
• pine nuts (1 tsp);
• parmesan (0.5 tsp).

Grind all components in a blender or coffee grinder, then mix everything well. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a month.

With longer storage, the sauce acquires a bitter taste. Pesto is best used as an addition to pasta..

We invite you to watch a video on how to store basil in the form of pesto:

Tincture

1. Fill a glass jar with leaves to fill about 1/5 of the container.
2. Fill the top of the foliage with vodka, but not all the way to the top of the jar.
3. Place the tincture in a dark place for a day.

From now on Basil will be ready to eat throughout the year.. After 24 hours, the aroma of the plant will only intensify.

This tincture can even be used in cocktails, or you can pour a teaspoon into soups. This will give the dishes a pleasant aroma and a hint of spiciness.

For nervous tension, you can take the tincture as a medicine, one tablespoon three times a day. The duration of such therapy should not exceed five days.

Which method best preserves vitamins and nutrients?

Nutrients and Vitamins are preserved in greater quantities with the following storage methods:

• freezing;
• drying;
• salting.

In other storage options, useful substances will also be preserved, but their quantity will decrease significantly. Summary table of advantages and disadvantages of all storage methods.

Basil is a plant that is widely grown throughout the world.. It is used for preparing various dishes. Now there are many opportunities to have greens on your table throughout the year and know for sure that all of its benefits have been preserved in the basil.

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Harvesting basil for the winter is a very entertaining process. Since green or purple basil cannot be stored fresh for a long time, I really want to please my family with its exquisite taste during the New Year and Christmas holidays.

There are several ways to prepare basil for the winter:

1. Drying. In dried, crushed form, this seasoning is used in various dishes - from vegetables to meat or fish. Minced meat, pate, liver, lamb, beef, sausage acquire a sweetish taste with bitterness;
2. Freezing. When frozen, the seasoning can be stored for about a year without losing its properties. In this way it is used in various sauces, pastes, salads and soups;
3. Filling. Allows the product to be stored for several months. The seasoning and oil with which the basil is poured are suitable for consumption. This way you get more basil oil.

How to dry basil for the winter

For the winter, dried basil goes well with spices such as tarragon, sage, garlic, onion, and rosemary. In cooking, the fragrant seasoning is used in tomato salads, dishes with cucumbers, beans, zucchini, peas, rice, casseroles, meat and fish.

So, how to dry basil for the winter? Our recommendations:

In Poland, they prepare traditional scrambled eggs, cottage cheese or yogurt with a pinch of dry basil. Such dishes acquire an exotic taste and extraordinary aroma.

How to freeze basil for the winter

You can freeze the seasoning as follows:

• collect fresh leaves with stems;
• wash and dry slightly;
• cut with a knife or grind using a blender;
• pour a little olive oil;
• Place in portions into sealed bags;
• put it in the freezer.

We use basil stored for the winter to prepare sauces, soups, and various dishes - we break off a piece of the required size from the entire block, and immediately hide the rest back.

If you want to freeze the whole seasoning, you need to wash and dry it.

Then spread parchment paper into the freezer tray and place sprigs of herbs or leaves on it at a short distance from each other. After they have frozen a little, we put them into bags, let out excess air, close them and send them back.

You can also prepare this greenery in the form of ice cubes. Place clean and chopped basil in molds and fill with water.

After the cubes have frozen in the freezer, transfer them to sealant and put them back in the freezer.

Preparation of basil in the form of filling

Place fresh, clean green leaves in a dry jar and fill with preheated wine vinegar. We insist for two weeks. After these manipulations we get wonderful basil vinegar. It is used in sauces, marinades and salads. And leaves can be used to decorate a dish.

In order to prepare jellied basil for the winter, we will need:

• fresh seasoning leaves;
• olive or sunflower oil;

Wash the greens, dry with a towel, chop. Take a clean, dry jar, preferably 300-500 ml, add seasoning there, add a little salt. Then fill it completely with oil and close it well. Store in the refrigerator.

Basil oil is great as a salad dressing.

Only basil has such an interesting and rich smell. So save it for the winter. During the cold season, it will become a spicy treasure for your dishes!

Basil is a bright, spicy herb that will perfectly highlight the taste of dishes made from tomatoes or with their addition. However, in winter it is very difficult to find such fresh herbs, so it is best to prepare frozen basil in the summer while you can. Whole bunches of the plant are not frozen, since its leaves after defrosting become dark, blackened, and lose their appearance, aroma and shape. Therefore, the basil is first crushed with a small amount of water and frozen in an ice maker or other small containers. Neither salt nor oil is added, so that in the event of some force majeure, the salty liquid does not leak inside the equipment and spoil it.

Compound

• 1 large bunch of basil
• 50 ml cold water

Freezing process

1. Buy or pick fresh basil stems - it is advisable to use the green variety, as it has a less intense aroma and a more delicate taste. We rinse the plants in water, tear off the leaves from the stems, and remove the stems themselves; we will no longer need them in the recipe.

2. Place them in the container of a chopper or food processor. Next, pour in 50 ml of cold water: filtered or boiled chilled. It is necessary to add water, since when chopping the mass of greens will stick to the walls of the bowl and it will be impossible to chop it properly.

3. Close the container with a lid and grind the basil leaves for about 2-3 minutes, periodically carefully clearing the adhering mass from the walls of the bowl and grinding again until it turns into almost puree.

4. Place the spicy mixture into ice molds and pour in the remaining juice. Place the molds in the freezer for about 1 hour. By the way, the maximum shelf life of the product when frozen is 6 months, but it must be packaged very tightly in double bags or containers, since other products in the freezer can take on the bright aroma of basil.

Description

Freezing basil is one of the methods to ensure that this plant remains practically fresh for the winter. Why and for what purpose do they do this? If we talk about the use of basil in cooking, then in this case its amazing aroma properties are used. The formula of the essential oil contained in basil is very unusual, thanks to it the plant has a persistent and characteristic aroma. This plant has its peak aromatic and flavor intensity from July to August, even before flowering. It is at this time that basil leaves are collected and processed in every possible way.
If we talk about the harvesting method, there are two main ones: freezing and drying the basil. Already these methods differ in methods, but these are details.
In today's step-by-step photo recipe, we will tell you how to freeze basil leaves in ice cubes in the simplest and most convenient way at home. The process itself will take literally 10 minutes, while the basil will still need to completely harden. This method is advantageous in that the basil will almost completely retain its taste and, of course, its unique smell. Small cubes will be very convenient to defrost and use in cooking. Let's start freezing basil for the winter.

Ingredients

Freezing basil - recipe

For this winter preparation, we only need basil leaves and clean cold water. The leaves should be collected early in the morning in late summer, when they are still fresh. The concentration of odor and astringency of such leaves is ideal and suitable for preparations. We thoroughly wash the collected leaves and then leave them to dry on a clean kitchen towel.

Place clean and dry leaves on a cutting board and cut them as shown in the photo. You can chop it even more, depending on what you will use these greens for later.

Now place the mixture in clean ice trays. Fill the molds with prepared clean and cold water, and then place them in the freezer for half an hour until completely frozen. After this, the cubes with greens can be placed in an airtight container, but everything must also be stored in the freezer.