basil preservation society!
Hi there,
Basil preservation - strip leaves off the stalk, chop finely, place in ice cube trays, pack tightly, add a little water and freeze. Remove from trays and repack in poly bags to use in soups and sauces.
If you have an excess of basil and make this up into quantities of pesto, my instinct is that some form of heat treatment will be necessary given the inclusion of garlic and pine nuts ( which may go rancid on storing), and this will adversely affect the quality of the finished product, especially if this is to be used in a commercial situation. In other words, forget it.
Garlic, in Europe, in the preserved state, tends to be pureed in tubes or in jars with olive oil and, I`m quite sure has gone through some heat processing, preserved under olive oil. Would you like me to post a question about preserving garlic on the other message baord of which I am a member. You know - you could do this yourself. I`m also a member of the BBC food message board. I`ve crossed the pond - why can`t you.
All the best,
Archiduc