About Basil

Storage

Don’t refrigerate basil!

Trim the stem ends, and place in a glass or jar with an inch or so of water, just like you would a flower bouquet. Place a plastic bag over the top and seal tightly by putting a rubber band around the glass or by tucking the bag underneath the glass.

Store on the kitchen counter in a cool, light place- not over the dishwasher, and not in direct sunlight. The basil should stay fresh for 3-4 days, often longer. Change the water in the glass if it starts to discolor.

Alternative freezing method for Basil

For some reason, I seem to have trouble freezing basil, so I use this variation. I put a couple of handfuls of rough-chopped basil leaves, (no stems), into the blender along with 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil and quick-pulse it. You can adjust the consistency according to how you will use it. For example, I remove some while it’s still fairly coarse for pizza, etc. and then run it longer to puree the rest for soups or salad dressings. Scoop the basil mixture into ice cube trays (about 1 Tbsp. per cube space). When frozen, pop them out of the tray and place into a freezer grade ziplock bag. Now they’re at the ready to use as individual portions.

Freezing Fresh Herbs

Clean, and thoroughly dry the herbs. Remove the leaves from the stems. Chop them if you wish to have the prep work done ahead.

Lay them on a cookie sheet, and set in the freezer. When they’re frozen, put into a freezer-grade ziplock bag, and you’re done. (Be really sure to push all of the air out when sealing).

Note: You may freeze the whole stem; I just find that I’m glad when I pull the bag out later that I did the work of removing the leaves in advance.

Another freezing trick:

You can also “wet” freeze your herbs by pushing the leaves (chopped or not) into ice cube trays, or small freezer containers. Pour a little water or stock over them, filling only half full. The herbs will float to the top, so put into the freezer until fairly frozen and then add more liquid before freezing solid. Place cubes into freezer grade ziplock bag for easier storage.

I freeze mint in water so that I can use it for tea, and herbs such as oregano in stock since I know I’ll put them into soups or sautés.

I also sometimes freeze a nice, single leaf in a cube of water or lemonade (perhaps along with a berry) to add to a refreshing drink later.

Drying Fresh Herbs

I prefer to freeze my herbs because I find it mush easier. If I do dry an herb, it is not a "soft" herb like mint or parsley- I never seem to have any luck with them. I think it is because they have a very high water content. Mine seem to get moldy before they dry. But it could just be me... The drying method works much better with "hard" herbs like rosemary and thyme; but my opinion is that it's still much easier just to freeze those too.

Gather your herbs into small bunches and secure with a rubber band, clothes pin, or twist tie. Gently rinse, (so you don’t bruise the leaves), lightly shake off the water and pat with a towel to remove excess moisture. Hang upside down in a DRY, DARK place inside your house.

The herbs will take 2 weeks or so to dry, depending on the type. The end result should be similar to what you are used seeing when you purchase dried herbs in the store. Once they are completely dried, hold bunches over wax paper and run your fingers down the stems to remove leaves. Then simply pick up the wax paper and slide the herbs into a labeled freezer grade ziplock bag or air-tight jar.

Here’s another trick that I got from an herb farmer: Place the clean, dry herbs in a paper bag along with a paper towel. Close the bag tightly, and allow the herbs to dry out. He says this method helps keep the herbs clean, isolated from other odors, and increases the flavor intensity.

Liz Talley, Urban Graze

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