How to Freeze Your Basil Harvest
It’s mid-October here in Alabama, which means it’s time for a final basil harvest before the frost gets it. Come along with us as and we’ll show you how to freeze your basil!
How to Freeze Basil
Step 1. Remove all the good leaves from the stalk, leaving off any that are ugly.
Step 2. Wash the leaves really well. Look out for little critters that might be clinging to the leaves! Shake off excess water, or pat dry. A salad spinner can be very helpful here. This is the one we use.
Step 3. Fill up your food processor with Basil, then drizzle generously with olive oil. This will help the leaves to spin in the food processor, as well as make it easier to use from the freezer (olive oil doesn’t freeze super hard).
Step 4. Run the food processor until all the leaves are chopped up. You might need to stop in the middle to scrape down the sides, so all the leaves get incorporated. If you don’t have a food processor, you could try a blender, but pulse it slowly, so you don’t turn it into a smoothie. 🙂
Step 5. Once it’s all pureed, scoop it into a bowl or directly into your zip-loc bag. TIP: roll down the top of your bag to form a cuff. This will keep your zipper from getting messy.
Step 6. Press as much air out of your bag as you can, then zip your bag closed.
Step 7. Label your bag making sure to include the date. That way you don’t end up with a mystery in your freezer that you end up throwing away!
Step 8. Pat your bag flat and then lay it flat in the freezer, so that the basil will freeze in a thin sheet.
How to use it
When you need some basil, just open the bag and break off a chunk. No need to thaw the whole bag!
What do I use it for?
This is great for spaghetti, lasagna, pasta dishes, soups, pesto, marinades, and salad dressings. Most places you would use chopped fresh basil, you can substitute frozen. Try it in our favorite vinaigrette dressing!
How long does it last?
This should keep for quite awhile in the freezer, but it will be best if you use it in the next year. Ideally before summer rolls around and you’re ready to harvest basil again. 🙂
And that’s how to freeze basil! Freezing basil is a super simple way to keep summer flavor going all year long. Enjoy!
We’re using a KitchenAid food processor similar to this one. We’ve had it for 10 years, and it’s still going strong!
Did you try it?
Let us know if you tried out freezing your basil. What is your favorite way to use it?
Pin it for later!
Simple and easy way to preserve summer all year long! I love how everyone joined in the delight of preparing food for your freezer. Thank you for sharing this video as well as the step by step written instructions.