Food - Drink
Blanch And Freeze Your Wilted Basil And It'll Last For 6 Months
By WENDY LEIGH
Basil is a versatile and resilient herb that grows in abundance all over the world, and while it's prized for its culinary uses, those who cook with basil know that it can get limp and wilt relatively quickly after harvesting. Luckily, even wilted basil leaves can be well-preserved by freezing them, especially if you blanch them first.
For the best frozen basil, give the leaves a preliminary blanching by boiling themfor about 10 seconds before quickly dunking them in cold water. Put your blanched basil in a blender with some olive oil, purée at high speed, then strain the excess oil and freeze the oily basil mixture as ice cubes for up to six months.
A different, easier way to freeze basil is to pluck the leaves from the stems, wash thoroughly, carefully pat dry, spread them on a tray, and pop them into the freezer briefly before transferring them to freezer-safe bags. However, this method doesn't preserve flavor as well as blanching them and freezing them as ice cubes.