MOM Tip: Do you have lots of basil in your garden? Would you like this fresh basil in winter? Try freezing some whole leaf basil now to enjoy later.
For this method you’ll need:
- fresh basil leaves
- pot of boiling water
- bowl of ice water
- cookie sheet(s)
- paper towel/towel
- slotted spoon
- storage container
Remove all the leaves from the plant stems and rinse them clean with cold water.
Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove top, Carefully add the basil leaves. Blanch for 5 – 10 seconds.
Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water to chill quickly to stop the cooking action.
Separate the leaves and lay flat on a cloth or paper towel and pat dry.
Lay them out on cookie sheet(s). I used two pans. Put the cookie sheet(s) in the freezer to flash freeze the basil leaves.
When they are frozen remove the leaves and put them into a bag or container. You can keep them in the freezer for months. They separate easily so you can use them in recipes.
Click here for this tip from Mamal Diane.