Freezing fresh basil?

[The Take Out Chef]

How should I freeze fresh basil? How bout peeled whole garli cloves?

 

[Jeekinz]

Instead of freezing, I keep a small plant on the window sill. Will last all winter, spring and summer there. I believe you can start a plant with only a leaf in a glass of water, or get one of theose root ball plants at the supermarket.

 

[Andy M.]

Basil is better dried than frozen. You could make a pesto and freeze that.

 

[Walt Bulander]

I chop some of the late harvest and freeze in ice cube trays. Then store the cube in the freezer in zip bags. Lasts until about January. Just add a cube to spaghetti sauce right at the end.

 

[Walt Bulander]

Yikes!
I just realized. You have fresh basil now? We have 2 feet of snow! Must be global warming

 

[GrillingFool]

Walt's method is the one I see recommended quite often.
I have read that freezing garlic makes it lose its flavor.
Haven't tried it, so don't know if it is true.

 

[Billdolfski]

I chop some of the late harvest and freeze in ice cube trays. Then store the cube in the freezer in zip bags. Lasts until about January. Just add a cube to spaghetti sauce right at the end.

If you're bent on freezing it instead of drying it, I'd go with this method.

 

[jennyema]

Aren't you a professional chef?

 

[Billdolfski]

Heh...? Me???

 

[jennyema]

No, sorry. The OP, "Take Out Chef" is a longtime professional chef.

 

[Billdolfski]

Np... just making sure =P

 

[college_cook]

Basil usually turns brown if it gets too cold.

 

[Walt Bulander]

In Minnesota, I never plant basil in other than a pot before mid-May. It stunts below about 50 degrees at night. When it's more mature in the fall, it tends to hold up better to the increasingly cold nights (at least until the tomatoes give up)
By then, if I haven't been too lazy, I have some more potted to take inside. It slowly wastes away from lack of sun, even in the sunniest window.
This year, my last pot has just enough left for spaghetti and meatballs for pre-christmas dinner with the kids and grandkids.

 

[archiduc]

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